Seeker of Truth: Prologue
by Navek
Summary: What do you do when everything you know is a lie? Ivan. Suzaku. Both are names for the same person. Now, the prince who wanted nothing more than to explore the world must make an impossible choice. But will his rage and sorrow force him to make the wrong choice? Either way, the fate of two nations will hinder on the decision he makes.
1. Prologue: Ties that Bind

**Author's Note 1: What can I say? I've fallen in love with the Fire Emblem series (Awakening and Fates so far). But one of the problems with Fates was that the Avatar is...bland. Not as bland as Troy from Megaforce, but close.**

 **So this story not only serves as a novelization of my experience with Fates, but also as my first POV story. We will have moments from a third person perspective at times, but the story will mostly be told from the viewpoint of my Avatar.**

 **And for anyone wondering what my Avatar looks and sounds like here, here are his stats:**

 **Body: M2**

 **Hair: 08**

 **Acc.: Nothing**

 **Color: 30**

 **Face: 02**

 **Detail: 04**

 **Voice: M3**

 **P.S. I'm not having the child units in the story since unlike in Awakening, they serve no purpose to the story.**

 _Prologue: Ties that Bind_

When people look back upon the moments that define their lives, there are many ways they can feel about it. They can look back with fondness and nostalgia. They can look back with regret and ponder if the choice they made was the right one. As for me, this was when my life started being more...complicated, to say the least.

This wasn't helped by the fact that my decision was taking place in the midst of war. The sun was setting over the distance as the two opposing forces battled to the death. Leading the charge on one side and cutting through a slew of soldiers was a tall man wearing an elaborate set of red and white samurai armor with a matching crown. His hair was brown, spiky and stopped above his waist. As he flipped around and struck down foes, lightning cracked from his katana, the Raijinto.

"Nohrian general! You face the high prince of Hoshido, Ryoma!" The samurai proclaimed as he looked up at a man standing on a nearby plateau. "I challenge you to single combat!"

The Nohrian general in question was a blond man about the same age as his opposite. He was adorned with black and dark purple armor. His horse was also wearing armor of the same color.

"I will accept your challenge, 'high prince.'" He responded before reaching for his weapon. "But I'm no general. I am crown prince Xander of Nohr!"

And with a mighty well, the crown prince and his mount leap from the plateau and towards his opponent, cutting down Hoshidan troopers along the way. The two generals leaped at each other and began their battle.

 _ **Navek Presents**_

 _ **A Fire Emblem Fates Story**_

 _ **Fire Emblem: Seeker of Truth**_

As Ryoma and Xander clashed, I was fighting alongside a red-haired woman with red & silver armor.

"Come on, Suzaku! We've got to do!" She exclaimed as we rode her Pegasus into battle. I leaped off the winged horse and attempted to strike down a Nohrian fighter. However, the axe-wielding man evaded my attack with a leap as my blade struck the ground. The fighter attempted to attack me, but the red-haired woman blocked it the shaft of her naginata.

"Suzaku, what's the matter with you? You seem distracted…" She said before pushing the fighter back and turning to face me with a kind smile. "If you're worried, don't be. All your siblings are here with you. The Nohrians don't stand a chance!"

She was half-correct. Part of my mind was distracted. However, I needed to push that aside as I turned to face the recovering fighter. Without hesitation, I leaped and ran my blade through the Nohrian's chest, killing him instantly. As I pulled my bloody blade from the fresh corpse, my attention turned back towards Ryoma and Xander fighting in the distance.

"I demand to know why you Nohrian dogs are invading Hoshido!" Ryoma growled as lightning and dark magic flowed between the two clashing blades. "Was that cowardly attack on my people your doing as well, princeling?"

The two general pushed each other back as Xander seemed to contemplate for a moment before brow became stern once more. "...I have nothing to say to you. Surrender now. If you refuse...you die here."

As the two continued their clash, three figures (two on horses and one riding a wyvern) approached near a collapsed bridge that crossed the nearby river.

"Oh, no! The bridge collapsed! How can we help our brother now?" A young pale blond girl with brown eyes a exclaimed in concern.

"Not to worry, Elise." The woman with purple hair and eyes stated. "This royal blood in our veins is still good for something!"

"Have you stopped a Dragon Vein, Camilla?" The sole pale blond male asked.

"You know me too well, dear little brother!"

The woman then had her wyvern land near the riverbed. To anyone else, this spot would have seemed like any other patch of land. But for those with the right blood flowing through their veins, the patch gave off a swirling glow. Camilla held her hand out, tuning herself with the enchanted land. She then proceeded to launch a massive fireball towards the river. And as the steam cleared…

"Yaaay, it worked!" Elise cheered. "The river dried up!"

"I would never let you down, darling." Camilla said with a smile. "Now, everyone follow me."

"Elise, you're not ready for the front lines. Stay back." The young man ordered as his mount passed hers. "Camilla and I will take care of the Hoshidans."

Back at our side, the red-haired woman was shocked that the Nohrian army used a Dragon Vein to dry up the river.

"But I thought only royals held that power…"

"Yeah, which means there must be some real big shots over there." A young man with pale brown hair and red eyes stated. He then held out a majestic and stringless bow. "Suits me just fine. I've always wanted to use a Nohrian royal for target practice!"

"Stay cautious, everyone!" I ordered as I spotted the two riding towards us. "Camilla and Leo are not be underestimated."

As I said this, more reinforcements arrived to aid the Nohrian army. Leading the reinforcements was a bald and scarred man adorned in the equipment of a Fighter. Seeing this man made my blood boil in anger as I grit my teeth and clenched my free left hand into a fist.

"Hans." I said as though the name itself were poisonous. And to be honest, it might as well have been.

"Listen up, cannon fodder! We have direct order from King Garon. He says kill 'em all!" The bald man proclaimed and the men & women cheered in agreement.

"Dammit, their reinforcements have arrived! I'll go scout out how many there are." The pegasus-riding woman stated before turning to the bow-wielding man and a pink-haired girl in holding a staff. "Takumi, Sakura, stay with Suzaku."

"Understood." Takumi replied with a nod.

"Y-yes. Good idea." Sakura replied nervously before healing my wounds. As she did this, I turned to face the red-haired woman.

"Hinoka." I said, getting her attention.

"Yes?"

"Be careful." I said. She nodded in understanding before taking off. I turned towards Sakura and Takumi as our own reinforcements arrived onto the battlefield from southeast. "Let's cut a path to Ryoma!"

"Right." Takumi stated as the three of use charged into battle. Our first opponent was a Nohrian lancer. Takumi aimed and fired an energy arrow from his bow, the Fujin Yumi, and knocked the weapon out his his hand, allowing me to slice her head off. We continued to fight through with Sakura healing our wounds along the way. The four of us managed to reach Ryoma, who was using Raijinto to hold himself upright. Xander was recovering in the distance, his eyes widening as he saw me.

"Ryoma, are you alright?" Hinoka asked as Sakura healed his wounds.

"I'll be fine." He said with kind smile as Takumi and I covered him. "I'm glad you're all safe. Enemy reinforcements are headed this way. I want you to get rid of them." He then turned his attention to me. "Suzaku, I'm counting on you to keep Hinoka and the others safe."

"Ivan!" Xander said with a relieved smile as Camilla, Leo and Elise closed towards him. "Thank heavens we found you, and that you're alive and well. Quickly, come join us! Your family has come to take you home where you belong."

"Quiet, Nohrian filth!" Ryoma exclaimed in anger as he stood back up. "Suzaku is my brother and a prince of Hoshido!"

Hearing this in turn made Xander angry as well. "On the contrary, Ivan is MY brother and a prince of Nohr!"

As he said this, the other Nohrian royals arrived and stopped next to their eldest brother. They eyes feel upon me. I had been dreading this moment for quite some time.

"Ivan! I was so worried about you." Camilla stated. "Don't ever wander away from me again!"

"I'm glad you're OK, Ivan." Leo stated in relief. "You must have the devil's own luck!"

"Yaaay! We got our brother back!" Elise cheered.

"Nohrian scum!" Hinoka yelled in anger. "First you kidnap him, now you lie to him?! Suzaku is MY brother, not yours!"

"You are mistaken." Camilla responded. "Ivan is my sweet little brother. You may not have him."

"Camilla…" I whispered in despair.

"Don't be fooled by their words." Ryoma said to me. "You belong with your true family in Hoshido!"

"We have loved you and raised you since you were a child." Xander stated. "Come home, little prince. We can live as a family once more!"

"Come home to Hoshido, Suzaku!" Ryoma yelled out.

"No, Ivan! Nohr is your home!" Xander exclaimed.

How did it come to this? How did I become torn between the family that raised me and the family that was truly my own?

 _To be continued…_

 **And there's the prologue for my first Fire Emblem story! Also, if you're wondering my Avatar has two names, I just figured he would have a name given to him by his Hoshidan parents and one given to him by his Nohrian father. It just makes sense.**

 **Anyway, please remember to read, favorite and review! See ya next time!**


	2. Chapter 1: Nohr

**Author's Note 1: Now it's time to take a step back and see how our avatar got into this mess.**

 _Chapter 1: Nohr_

 _Kingdom of Nohr: Northern Fortress..._

"Time to wake up, Lord Ivan!" A calming voice said to me while I slept. Sure enough, my eyes slowly opened to find the two maiden sisters Flora and Felicia standing over me. Flora had blue hair and brown eyes while Felicia had brown hair and blue eyes. Fraternal sisters at its finest.

"Hey, wake up, Lord Ivan! Up and at 'em!" Felicia said as she nudged me. Yawning a bit, I sat up and saw that my head butler Jakob and my bodyguard Gunter were also standing in my bedroom. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I noticed the lack of sunlight coming through my windows.

"Is waking me up at this godforsaken hour necessary?" I said as dryly as I could.

"You were the one who insisted you needed more time during the day, my prince." Gunter stated. This great knight had dark silver hair, black eyes, and a scar running down the right side of his face. That and the well-maintained black armor showed his dedication to combat and his years of experience. "Also, you have practice today."

"I have taken the liberty of readying your armor, and, er, pounding out the dents." Ah, Jakob. Always so blunt. You would almost never guess that his tongue would be as silver as his hair just by looking at him. "Your brother is a fearsome opponent, is he not?"

"That he is," I said as I stepped off of my bed. "I still have bruises from our last sparring session."

I stepped towards the full-length mirror next to my wardrobe. As always, my brown hair seemed to have a natural spikyness (I know that's not a real word) to it no matter how much I attempted to style it. My eyes were a dark crimson, my ears were pointed, and the familiar scar I got from a rather intense sparring session ran horizontally across my nose & face.

"However, I think today may be the day I finally best my big brother." I declared as I started to unbutton my sleeping shirt. Felicia gave out a mouse-like squeak and ran out the room with a bright blush on her face. I smirked at how easy it was to rile up the brunette maiden.

"Please, Lord Ivan. Show some dignity." Flora said as she turned to exit my bedchamber.

"Why are you leaving, Flora? You've seen the naked male body before. Isn't that right, Jakob?" I teased the two with a mischievous smirk on my face. And the blushes and subtle shock my head butler and maid gave out was just delightful. And Gunter's chuckling showed that he agreed with me.

"My lord, how…"

"The walls aren't as thick as you think." I said to Jakob as I started to strap my armor on. Indeed, I had been aware of Jakob and Flora's midnight rendezvous' for quite some time. In fact, I believe the entire staff was aware of the relationship the two were very poorly attempting to keep secret.

"Indeed." Gunter said as he patted the still blushing butler on the back. "Everyone in the castle has known quite some time."

Anywho, I was fully adorned in my armor in a matter of minutes. It was a mostly silver suit with black details (which included my gloves) that covered most of my body. The only parts of me that were uncovered were my head and feet (long story there). And a majestic dark blue cape adorned my backside. From my wardrobe, I grabbed my fateful bronze sword and headed for the rooftop and to victory.

 _Later…_

"SON OF WYVERN!" I yelled as I violently rolled on the floor, dropping my sword in the process.

"That's our brother for you." Leo stated as he stood next to Xander and his mount. "You won't beat the strongest knight in Nohr by charging head first, Ivan."

As I struggled back up, Xander asked me, "Giving up so soon, Ivan? I expect more of you. You are a prince of Nohr! Pick up your sword and try again."

And hearing this only brought a cocky smirk to my face. "Why the rush, big brother?" I then picked up my sword and pointed it towards Xander. "Are you that eager to lose?"

A similar smirk also appeared on my older brother's face. "That's the spirit! But try to actually land a hit on me before your head swells with pride."

"More like arrogance." Leo whispered under his breath.

There was no sound besides the wind as the two of us sized each other up. As we started to circle around each other, I keep thinking back to my previous bouts with Xander. His skill with a blade was far above my own. And unlike me, Xander had experienced real battle. This had sharpened his skills and reflexes to a level I could only begin to comprehend. Not to mention that we had crossed blades so often that he had a firm understanding of my attacks and movements. So I needed to do something unpredictable. And a tad underhanded, I'll admit it.

And so, I charged again with a furious yell and a leaping strike. As expected, Xander used his short shield to block my attack and the vibrations of the clinging metals pushing me back. But as soon as I landed, I quickly regained my footing and spun in a circle. My target this time was not Xander, but his horse. While the normal mount of a paladin is usually well armored against arrows and magic, there were places where the armor would hinder the horse's movement. And one of those was the neck, which my sword managed to slice.

Naturally, this unforeseen killing shocked Xander enough already, but his loss of balance is what truly gave me an opening.

"Prepare to feel my wrath!" I exclaimed before leaping and swinging my sword upward. The strike not only left a significant cut on the left side of Xander's armor, but the force of the attack also managed to knock him onto the ground. Finally, I had won.

"Well...that was...something." Leo said, shocked by the whole exchange.

Xander on the other got back up and looked down at his now deceased horse. He keep a stern expression as he turned to face me. "That was a dirty move, little brother." But soon enough, a small smile appeared on his face. "But regardless, you did manage to land a blow on me."

"If you strike the pillar, the entire foundation will crumble." I stated, pretty much giving a perfect metaphor for a tactic. "I knew I stood no chance if continued to attack you, Xander. So I figured that attack your horse would throw you off enough for me to strike. And it seems it worked perfectly."

"So it did." Xander said as he walked past his dead mount. "Father's going to be agitated about getting me a new mount, but I believe he'll be more than happy that you passed the test."

Hearing this made me raise an eyebrow. "A test? What test?"

"You see, Father has been keeping track of your training for the past few years. And he told me that until you had proven that you could both defend yourself and think up an unorthodox strategy, you were not to leave this fortress."

My heart almost stopped as I heard this. "So...you mean?"

Xander smiled still as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations, Ivan. Starting today, you are free to leave and return to the fortress as you please."

I said nothing for a moment as I held my head down. Finally, after years of being told I could not leave my home for my own safety, staying the same place for over a decade, I was finally free to go. There was only one way I could express my joy.

"YEEEEEEEESSSS!" I cheered, making a few birds fly off in the distance.

"Calm down." Leo said, interrupting me. "Just because you're sneaky with a sword doesn't mean you're automatically the top prince of Nohr."

"What do mean, little brother?" I asked. "Are you talking about those spells of yours."

"Precisely." Leo stated, with a high-strung tone in his voice. "You may be able to handle a blade with enough skill to challenge Xander, but you're still no match for my magic."

"A sword is the true man's weapon." I said with a smirk of my own. "It shows that I have the courage to face my enemies head on while you stay back and launch spells from a distance. Like a coward."

The two of us shoved our foreheads against each other and glared into each other's eyes. "You want to test that theory, you barefooted troglodyte?"

"Anytime, you inside out collared runt!" I yelled back.

"Enough!" Xander said sternly, making the both of us stop. If there was one thing that could stop Leo and I from squabbling, it's Xander's 'I'm disappointed in you' glare. "You're princes of Nohr, not common school children. Act like it."

And before the three of us could say anything, we heard footsteps heading towards us and turned. A genuine smile came onto my face as I saw my big sister Camilla and my little sister Elise.

"Are you alright, Ivan?" Camilla asked, concerned as always. "Did you get hurt at all during practice? If you did, let me know right away so I can take extra-special care of you…"

"I'm fine, Camilla." I replied with a smile. While I loved my big sister, there were times where I felt she was too smothering. "Although I can't say the same about Xander's horse."

The two sisters were confused at this before Elise decided to speak up. "I was worried about you too, Ivan!"

"I know, Elise." I said with a chuckle as I rubbed her head, making give out the most adorable giggle. "You wouldn't visit me all the time if you didn't care so much, right?"

In return for this, Elise gave me one of her usual hugs. "I love you so much! I love you more than anything in whole, wide world!"

I swear that this girl was a literal ray of sunshine.

"Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" Leo asked, obviously annoyed by the recent display of affection like the grump he always was.

"Well, I for one think her cheer is a good complement to this gloomy kingdom, Leo." Camilla stated with a smile.

"Well said, Camilla." I said as Elise and I finished our hug. "Anyway, I have excellent news!"

"You passed the test and now you can come and go from your home as you please." Camilla said, surprising me. Then again, she tended to know what Xander knew as the oldest daughter.

"But...how did you…"

"You were pretty loud, Ivan." Elise giggled while Leo and Xander chuckled. I could just feel my cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

"And Father said to bring you to the capital as soon as you passed." My eldest sister stated. "You can finally leave this drafty fortress."

"Isn't that wonderful?!" Elise excitingly asked.

"It is." I stated before looking at my siblings. "So does this mean I can join you guys on the front line?"

"There will be plenty of time to discuss the details with Father." Xander stated. "Let us depart."

Soon enough, the five us were down by the front gate, ready to depart for the capital (Xander also taking one of practice horse from the castle stable as a ride). All of the servants had gathered to see me off. One, in particular, was a blue-haired, yellow-eyed maiden named Lilith.

"I hear you can finally leave the fortress. You must be very happy, Lord Ivan." She said with a kind smile. "Gunter has asked me to go with you to the capital so I can look after your horses."

"Glad to hear it!" I replied. "I'd miss you if you weren't coming along too."

"Lilith, are the horses ready?" Xander asked.

"Yes, milord. Everything is ready, and the horses seem excited for the trip." She replied. "They are all very fond of Lord Ivan. Probably from all his time in the stables…"

"Our Ivan does love animals." Camilla chimed in. "Such a kindhearted soul. Why, he even nursed an injured baby bird back to health one time!"

"Ah…" Lilith said. Although I noticed that hearing that seemed to make her uncomfortable. At the time, none of us thought anything of it. In fact, I had theorized that perhaps Lilith had a bird as a pet when she was a child that died. Boy, was I ever wrong.

"Come now. We mustn't keep Father waiting." Xander stated as he headed towards his mount.

"Agreed." I replied as the five of us readied our steeds for the ride ahead.

"Flora, you and Jakob will remain here to watch over the fortress." Gunter said to the head maid and butler respectively. "Felicia and I will accompany Lord Ivan. We may be gone for some time. Take good care of the place."

"Of course! You may rely on us." Flora said with a bow.

"I wish you safe travels, Lord Ivan." Jakob said, bowing as well.

"Thank you, Jakob." I said as I gripped the reigns of my horse. "Oh, before I forget; sorry about the mess on the roof."

Jakob and Flora turned to each other before facing me again and raising an eyebrow. "What mess?"

But before I could answer, Xander kicked his horse and took off past the castle gate. The rest of us followed shortly. And as the wind flew past my ears and I took in the sights of the wilderness around my home for the last fifteen years, I truly believed that this was beginning of a grand tale. That this was the stepping stone of my journey that would be chronicled for future generations.

History would later prove me right. But not in anyway I could have predicted.

 _To be continued…_

 **Author's Note 2: As you may have noticed, I removed or altered some of the dialogue from this chapter. Not anything important, but just bits I believed to be superfluous or meant to exploit something the characters would already be aware of.**

 **Also, I needed to alter the dialogue of the siblings and other characters to respond to my Avatar's personality, which I hoped you all enjoyed.**

 **P.S. Sorry if the horse scene made anyone uncomfortable (probably the only time anyone has said that without anything sexual having happened).**

 **Anyway, please remember to read, favorite and review! See ya next time!**


	3. Chapter 2: Gift of Ganglari

**Author's Note 1: And now the hands of fate begin to sway for our intrepid avatar.**

 _Chapter 2: Gift of Ganglari_

 _Kingdom of Nohr: Capital of_ Windmire _…_

While Windmire gave off the appearance of a fortress, it was a testament to architecture. Not only did the circular wall surrounding capital provide protection against any army foolish enough to attack, but the royal castle Krakenburg was insanely secure thanks to it being at the bottom of a 100-foot excavated hole.

You can imagine how long it took us to reach the throne room of Castle Krakenburg, and in the audience of our father, King Garon. While not as towering as he was in my childhood memories, he was still an imposing figure despite his old age (as signified by his white hair and beard). His armor matched Xander's but had the addition of a fur cape and extended collar.

But one thing that was still the way I remembered was Garon's sunken in red eyes. Truly, this man was the kind of king they talk about in stories of great conquerors.

"I see you made it here safely, Ivan." My father stated, his voice as baritone as ever. In respect, I took a knee before answering.

"Yes, Father. Long have I wished to see you and visit Castle Krakenburg again." I said as humbly as I could. "I had forgotten how imposing it truly is."

"It is only thanks to your diligence that you are here." Garon continued. So much for small talk. "I am told you are now a warrior almost on par with Xander."

It took every ounce of self-control I had not to smirk upon hearing that. To be compared to my big brother was being compared to a god in my eyes.

"You finally possess the strength to be an instrument of Nohr's power in the world."

Translation: "I'm proud of you, son. As such, I am trusting of with an important task."

That's the thing about Father; He spends so much time giving off the impression of a fearsome warrior king that he forgets to turn it down when not in congress or on the battlefield. At least, that's what I was lead to believe my Xander and Camilla's letters.

"But, Father, will he be alright outside of the fortress?" Elise asked in concern.

"I worry about that as well." Camilla chimed in. "Isn't it dangerous for Ivan to live outside of the fortress' magical barrier?"

"Sisters…" I started to say as stood up and turned to them. "Your concern is appreciated. But I have longed for a chance to prove myself as a soldier a Nohr."

And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the tiniest hint of a smile from Father Garon before his visage became serious once more.

"Ivan, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido."

"Of course." I replied. As part of my studies, I had taken upon myself to learn about Nohr's neighboring kingdoms. In particular, Hoshido. I had studied about their warriors and how they fight, devising several plans to thwart each warrior class.

"We of the royal family are descendants of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. On who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops."

A little exaggerated, but it was inspiring to hear.

"Xander, Camilla, and Leo have already shown that they possess this power. I expect no less from you." Garon finished.

"I am aware of your expectations, Father." I replied. "I have spent the last fifteen years honing my body and my mind so that I may stand as equals to my siblings."

"Hmm…" The King said as he looked me over. "You show promise. But you will need a suitable weapon to serve Nohr."

With a simple gesture from Garon, a sword manifested before me. It was a truly frightening curved blade that gave off unknown purple energy as it floated in front of me. As such, there was only one word I could say in response.

"Astonishing."

"This is Ganglari, a sword infused with magic from another world." Garon explained, only making me want to wield this great weapon even more. "With this sword at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army with ease."

Once more, I kneeled in respect to the man. "Thank you for this generous gift, Father."

"Hmm...Generous indeed." I heard Xander say. At the time, I assumed it was because of slight jealousy. But more on that later.

"Now, let us see you put that sword to its proper use…" Garon started to say before yelling, "Bring out the prisoners!"

"Yes, sire!" A nearby Nohrian soldier replied.

"Prisoners?" I asked in curiosity. However, it soon dawned on me what Father was intending. I had already proven myself in combat against Xander, but those that was in training. He wanted to see how I fared in actual combat.

Soon enough, the prisoners as mentioned earlier were brought out. There were two in particular that struck out to me. The first was a muscular woman with tan skin, white hair (that was adorned with a red tribal hairpiece), red eyes and matching markings on her cheeks, and the traditional Oni Savage clothing with some wrappings to cover her...bosom. The second was a man with pale skin, green hair and light purple eyes who had one the traditional ninja uniform with the addition of a metallic black headband.

"These are prisoners from our most recent skirmish with Hoshido." Garon explained as I studied them. "I want to see your power with my own eyes. Use that sword to strike them down."

So I was right. This was yet another test to prove my worth. Without hesitation, I took hold of Ganglari's handle and pointed it at the direction of my foes (who were currently being handed their weapons for the battle by the guards).

"I accept this challenge." I said with a smirk on my face. I heard footsteps and saw Gunther and Felicia walking towards me.

"I shall join you, milord. My lance arm is perhaps rusty but still serviceable." Gunther stated as he mounted his armored horse before turning to the maiden. "Felicia, will you join as well?"

"Of course!" The blue-eyed maid responded as she hid a dagger within her sleeve. "I'm as much a bodyguard as a domestic, after all. To be honest, I was never that great at the domestic stuff anyway."

"At least you're honest about it." I teased, earning an angry pout from Felicia. I turned to the direction of the Hoshidan captives before speaking.

"Hoshidans! I wish to know the name of my enemies before they are vanquished!" I stated perhaps a bit too arrogantly.

"I am Rinkah!" The Oni woman replied. "Daughter of the Flame Tribe's honorable chieftain. What is your name, Nohrian prince?"

I smirked, believing I found a worthy enemy. With gusto and pride, I spoke, "I am Ivan, third prince of Nohr and future general of the Nohrian Army! And you lot have the privilege of being my first stepping stone to greatness!"

As Rinkah growled at my declaration, I couldn't help but notice the green-haired ninja looked at me with a curious expression.

"Can it be?" He whispered.

"Ninja! State your name!" I ordered. After all, I had learned the name of one opponent. It was only fair I learn both of their names.

The pale man said nothing, thinking for a second before stating, "I am Kaze, a ninja of Hoshido."

As if I wasn't able to figure that out by looking at him.

"Show me what you can do." He said, pulling three shurikens out of his pockets.

"Kill them all." Garon ordered as he and my siblings watched. At with that, the battle had indeed begun. With simple nod and hand gesture, I had Gunter flak to our right. His armor and shield would be able to deflect the simple sword of the Hoshidan samurai that accompanied Kaze. I flanked left as I figured that I would have an advantage in speed over Rinkah and her brass club. Felicia moved the center of the formation as she could heal the two of us with her staff and provide long range support with her throwing daggers.

Soon enough, my plan started to work. Kaze began the battle by tossing brass shuriken at Gunter, but they merely deflected off his armor and shield. One of Hoshidan samurais attempted to leap at the veteran Great Knight from above. The poor fool never knew what hit him. The second his katana bounced off of Gunter's armor; the Hoshidan was skewered through the throat by the old man's lance. And as soon as he retracted his lance from the dead samurai's body, Gunter's attention returned to Kaze.

Felicia and I were also engaged in battle. My maid was throwing daggers to distract the other samurai while I charged at Rinkah. But much to my shock, the savage woman quickly back stepped away from my downward swing and swung her club, sending me back a few feet. I managed to quickly recover and swung Ganglari at her, but every time I swung the blade, she managed to block the strikes with the metal end of the club.

"You're pretty quick for a savage." I said as our weapons were locked.

"Disappointed?" She taunted with a scowl.

"On the contrary," I replied as we pushed away from each other. "I was worried this battle would be too easy."

"Is this just some game to you?!" Rinkah yelled out. And to my shock, the metal end of the club suddenly ignited with a raging fire. "Behold the might of the Flame Tribe!"

And thus, our game of attack and retaliation continued. My natural agility would keep the flaming club away from my body while Rinkah's surprising speed allowed her to block or evade my swings. And as we fought, I felt my blood boiling, my heart beating faster, and adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was it. This was real combat.

After pushing each other away again, the two us started panting, near exhausted from the continual battle. In the corner of my eye, I saw Felicia and Gunter cornering Kaze. And no matter how skilled of a ninja he was, it was evident that he stood no chance against those two. So Rinkah would soon be the only enemy left standing.

As the two of us glared at each other, we both knew that this end of this battle would be decided by the next attack. And as if an answer to our fighting spirit, the purple haze that emanated from Ganglari and the fire at the end of Rinkah's club lit up like the moon and sun.

"I'll burn you to ash!" Rinkah exclaimed before charging.

"Prepare to feel my wrath!" I proclaimed as I ran towards my fiery opponent. With a burst of speed rivalry the fastest war horse, the two of us clashed for one final time, ending up on either side of the battlefield with our weapons drawn out. Silence filled the air of the chamber.

It was only was when the armor around my chest cracked and fell to the floor did sound return. I grabbed my chest and wobbled for a second before reclaiming my footing. I still remember how much it hurt. Sure, my armor did its job and protected my vital organs, but I still felt the impact of the attack. My attention was then caught by the sound of liquid hitting the floor. I turned and saw that Rinkah had fallen to her knees, using her left hand to hold herself up and her right hand to stop the bleeding on her right side. I walked towards my fallen opponent, who looked up at me with hatred in her eyes.

"You will pay for this." She growled.

"I doubt that." I said before stabbing Ganglari into the floor. "But if it's any consolation, you truly are a worthy opponent, Rinkah of the Flame Tribe."

As I said this, Felicia and Gunter brought an injured but still conscious Kaze and tossed him onto the floor near my feet, causing him to groan.

"So this is how it ends…" Kaze groaned. Soon I heard the sound of hands clapping before turning and seeing my family giving a round of applause. With a smile on my face, I bowed like an actor thanking his audience.

"Excellent, Ivan. You have proven yourself to be a true warrior of Nohr." Garon said with the smallest smile. However, this only lasted for a second as he then said, "Now kill them."

"What?" I asked in confusion. "Father, I've already bested them in combat. Surely they've suffered enough pain and humiliation today for at least…"

"Do you not wish to be a soldier?" Father interrupted my spiel.

"Of course, Father." I answered with the slightest bit of hesitation.

"To be a soldier, you must do two things; you must be willing to take the lives of your enemies, and you must obey those above you in the chain of command," Garon said as he walked down the steps of his throne. "So prove your dedication to Nohr and end their miserable lives."

Saying nothing, I pulled Ganglari out of the floor and looked down at the defeated Hoshidans. Steeling my nerves I raised my blade above my head, ready to lob off both their heads. But at that moment, I felt my right-hand shake, even as I was doing all I could to mentally prepare myself to deal the killing blow.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to bring the blade down on my enemies while they were laying on the floor. However, I also knew that Father would not be willing to spare two enemies unless there was a good reason. And I quickly thought up that reason.

"Have they been interrogated?"

"What?" Garon asked.

"Have you interrogated them for information?" I asked before turning to face my family. "I mean, surely they must have something valuable stored in their heads."

"What are on about, brother?" Leo asked. "They're a lowly savage and a ninja. What possible intel could they provide?"

"Why, Leo. I thought you were the attentive one." I taunted. "As Rinkah was so willing to yell out, she is the daughter of the Flame Tribe's chieftain, one of the strongest warrior clans in all of Hoshido. You think she wouldn't know anything of value?"

And there it was, my sisters, brothers, and father were listening and thinking. "And as for Kaze, a ninja skilled enough to face one of our greatest veterans and a skilled bodyguard must have a high ranking in Hoshido's military structure. Now sure, I can decapitate them in a show of force, but quite frankly, they're more valuable to us alive than dead."

Garon said nothing as he contemplated my proposal, stroking his beard as he did so. After a moment of thinking, the ruler of Nohr came to a decision. "Guards. Tend to the prisoner's wounds and return them to their cells."

Soon enough, the guards came and proceeded the drag the two Hoshidans back to their cells. I would later learn that they applied medicine to their wounds. In the meantime, Father approached me with his default stern look.

"You raised a valid point, Ivan. However, in the future, you must be willing to obey orders, no matter your objection."

"Father?"

"In war, we do things that we believed we would never go through with. But every sin we commit is to ensure the prosperity of Nohr. Remember that."

As he left the throne room, these words stuck in my head, even as my siblings congratulated me on my victory. And these words would only bring doubt into my mind as began the second stage of my plan.

After everyone else had retired to their rooms to sleep, I was heading towards the dungeon. Leo had often given me a description of the castle in his letters, so I was able to find my way to the prison cells. There, I saw Rinkah asleep on the floor of one of the cells. I then proceeded to pull a hairpin out of my pocket and started to pick the lock.

As part of my training, Gunter felt it necessary that learn how to escape capture. But who would've thought I would use this skill to break two Hoshidans out of a Nohrian dungeon. However, the sound of my lockpicking managed to stir Rinkah awake. I figured she would have a lot to say about while also being thunderous about it. So the very second she looked in direction, I held my finger over my mouth to signal her to be quiet and whispered, "If you want to be free, then do exactly as I say."

She said nothing but raised her eyebrow in confusion. Two minutes later, I managed to click open the lock and opened the cell door, motioning her to follow me as I headed for Kaze's cell. I proceeded to say the same thing to Kaze, who I could've sworn was smiling for a brief second.

Eventually, I lead the two out of the castle and onto the surface without being spotted by the guards. "Alright, we're out of sight. Now hurry and leave before my family catches word of this."

Kaze looked at me with a stoic expression, saying nothing before vanishing into the night.

"Tch. I am not some hostage to be freed." Rinkah said with a scowl. "Mark my words, Ivan. When next we meet, I will make you pay for this humiliation!"

And hearing this only brought a chuckle out of me.

"You think I'm joking?!"

"Not at all. In fact, I look forward to seeing you again. If I may be so bold, maybe we could meet again as friends." I replied.

"Soft Headed fool! I am a Hoshidan warrior. You do not understand what you suggest."

"On the contrary," I said as I gazed up at the moon. "The war between our kingdoms will end. And when it does, we will need people on both sides who are willing to cooperate with each other."

"And you think freeing me will make me vouch for Nohr." Rinkah asked with skepticism evident in her voice.

"I'm hoping it will show you that there are people who are willing to speak rather than shed blood." I then held my hand out as a show of peace. "So until we meet again, stay safe, Rinkah of the Flame Tribe."

The white-haired woman looked down at my head in confusion before laughing, which proved to me that she was capable of emotions besides anger.

"I've heard rumors of a sheltered Nohrian prince who knows nothing of the world. I see those rumors are true."

She looked me in the eyes with a slight smile on her face. "If we do meet again, the world will have doubt taught you the error of your ways."

And as she ran away from the castle, I couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "We'll see about that."

 **To be continued…**

 **Author's note 2: Ivan has had the first taste of battle. And he is already making plans for a peaceful world after the war. And yes, I made the Avatar seem like less of an impotent child relying on his siblings to bail him out, and more of a cunning gentleman.**

 **Please remember to read, favorite and review! See ya next time!**


	4. Chapter 3: Journey Begins

**Author's Note 1: Sorry to keep you guys waiting!**

 _Chapter 3: Journey Begins_

Suffice to say, my stomach was in knots as I walked the halls of Castle Krakenburg the next morning. Father had sent one of his servants to fetch me, saying he had something important to discuss with me. And hearing that made my stomach twist up out of fear that Father knew about my late night escapade. After getting ready, I headed for the throne room, meeting Elise as I did. We decided to walk together, my cute little sister thinking I still hadn't gotten used to the castle.

But alas, not even Elise's beaming presence could ease my stress. While I had made sure that no one was watching me free Rinkah and Kaze, there was always the possibility that a wayward guard. And you can rest assured I was steeling myself for that possibility. However, I must've been doing a flimsy job at hiding my nervousness considering what Elise asked me.

"Are you feeling alright, Ivan?"

"Of course I am. Why would you ask?"

"Because you're sweating. Like a lot."

Well, there was my tell. I quickly wiped the sweat from my brow and came up with some cockamamie excuse about being used to Flora using cold to wake me up. Whether or not Elise bought that, I have no idea, but at the time she seemed to accept my frankly poor excuse.

Soon enough, we reached the front of the throne room door, ready to enter.

"All right, Ivan. I'll see you later." Elise said before walking off.

"Right. See you later...hopefully." I replied, whispering the last word under my breath. I then turned to face the door, taking a deep breath before knocking on the throne room.

"Enter." My father's booming voice commanded. And I did just that, entering the throne room and stopping to bow before the king.

"I trust you slept well last night, correct?" Garron asked.

"Of course, father." I answered, praying to Anankos that he believed it. I looked up but was unable to read my father, as his face was a stone cold as ever.

"Good. Because you will need your faculties in peak condition. I have a mission for you. Should you succeed, I shall grant you your own platoon to command."

'Excellent!' I thought to myself, but kept my face calm and professional as I asked, "What is my mission, father?"

"Four days ago, one of our scouts along the border discovered a platoon of Hoshidan soldiers fortifying themselves within the old watchtower."

"But the Treaty of Victor…" I began to say.

"Yes." Garon interrupted. "It would seem that our neighbors to the east are ignoring our centuries long armistice concerning the Bottomless Canyon. I want to drive them out, and determine if it merely a platoon acting on their own, or on the order of Empress Mikoto herself. Understood?"

"I understand." I replied as I stood up straight. "But if may be so bold as to ask; what troops will I have at my disposal?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot spare you any troops at this moment. I do have one available combatant, but Gunter and Felicia will need to suffice."

"Well, it's not ideal. But then again, one of the main principles of war is that the odds will rarely be in your favor." I stated. And to my surprise, Father actually had a good chuckle.

"I see you've kept up with studies. Let us hope they were not a waste of time. You leave in two hours."

"Yes, my lord." I replied before turning and leaving the throne room. I needed to make sure I had everything I needed, and that Gunther and Felicia did the same. Whether or not father knew of my actions last night was no longer at the forefront of my mind. Rather, it was about the Hoshidans occupying the old watchtower.

Eight-hundred years ago, a massive earthquake nearly tore the continent in two. The result was a massive canyon forming on the border of Nohr and Hoshido. This seemingly bottomless canyon (not the most original name, I'll admit) prevented safe trade between our countries. Not helping, of course, was the ruling egos on both sides of the country, pretty much poisoning future negotiations. However, King Victor of Nohr and Emperor Katagiri of Hoshido managed to agree on one thing.

The border separating the countries was neutral territory. No military presence could be established without declaring an act of war. And if Hoshido was attempting to create a military presence, combined with the endless failures that were our attempts at negotiating rations and territory with our Eastern neighbors, war was a strong possibility.

Sure, we had a few skirmishes before, but it was usually between independent militias attempting to make a name for themselves. And that's what I hoping this was.

Later, after making sure my supplies were stocked and in order, I made my way to throne room. One of the servants informed me that father was escorting my soon-to-be comrade in arms personally, which made me wonder what kind of soldier I'd be fighting beside. However, I was soon joined by my beloved siblings, no doubt there to see me off.

"Darling, are you sure you're going to be ok out there?" Camilla asked, once more playing the part of the doting mother among us. "I don't like this…"

"Camilla, I've told you time and time again; I'm not a child anymore." I explained with a calm smile. "I have to pull my weight, just like you guys."

"You're pretty calm for someone going into a battle with inferior numbers." Leo commented with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Believe me, there's a part of me that's nervous. But being scared is not going help."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or naive." My brother stated.

"That's enough, Leo! Don't be so worried all the time, sheesh." Elise retorted with an adorable pout. "And don't even try to scare Ivan before his first mission!"

In her anger, Elise smacked the back of Leo's head, causing him to falter slightly. It took everything I had not to burst out into laughter.

"Hey? That's not necessary." Leo groaned, rubbing the spot Elise smacked.

"I suppose I'll just have to come along. That way I know Ivan will be safe." Camilla stated. But before I had a chance to once again remind Camilla that I no longer needed to be looked after…

"I'm afraid that's not possible." A man stated. We all turned and saw a black-haired man in black and golden clothing (including a rather gaudy half-mask) walking towards us.

"Why ever not, Iago?" My big sister asked.

"Lady Camilla, King Garon intends this mission to be Ivan's and Ivan's alone." The mask-wearing man explained. "As his top advisor, I have been entrusted with coordinating this mission."

"Well, in that case…" I said before walking up towards Ivan and holding my hand out as a show of goodwill. "...a pleasure to meet you, Iago. I look forward to working with you."

The man looked down at my extended hand, and for a breath second, I could've sworn he sneered before shaking my hand.

"The sentiment is shared. Let us hope Anankos favors you today, my liege." The man said before turning to face Camilla again. "After all, he has already favored your siblings."

Before Camilla had a chance to speak up, we heard the distinct sound of Father's heavy footsteps on cobblestone. We all turned and saw him and another man walking beside him. He was quite the intimidating presence. The only hair on his head was his short light red beard, he had piercing red eyes, and had black purple-outlined armor that matched that of the Berserker class.

"...Milord." He said to me. But much to my shock, Xander spoke out.

"Father, are you mad?!" My eldest brother shouted. "You're sending him out there with Ivan?!"

"You disagree with decision?" Garon asked.

"If I may be so bold, yes." He said before pointing at the bald man. "He is the living embodiment of human sin! He slaughter an entire bar of s! Not to mention the...unforgivable horrors he inflicted upon the barmaids!"

'By the blood of Anankos!' I thought to myself. 'Are we so thinned out that we need to ally ourselves with criminals?"

"I am aware of Hans' crimes, Xander." Father replied. "However, you above all others know how thin our forces are spread. And before he surrendered himself to his baser instincts, Hans was one of our strongest warriors. That being said…"

Father then looked in direction. "...If it looks like he'll jeopardize the mission, you have my full permission to execute him on the spot."

"I understand, Father."

And after Xander pulled me aside, warning me about Hans' savage nature, Gunther, Felicia, Hans, and myself left for our destination. And within three hours, we had reached it.

"So this is it." I said out loud, thunder echoing in the sky above. "The Bottomless Canyon."

And true to form, it lived up to its name. A seemingly endless pit of darkness awaiting anyone unfortunate to fall. The only way pass this was two bridges connecting to the lone plateau.

"Gunther, it can't really be bottomless, can it?" I asked.

"Let the eternal darkness below be your answer." The veteran great knight replied. "Those who fall in never return. I truly despise this place. Something about the land around here just isn't right. The sky here is always dark and foreboding, and lightning strikes all who fly across the sky. This is clearly a place us mortals were never meant to enter. Normally we'd go around…"

"But the captured watchtower lies on the other side." I finished, looking through my own personal telescope. And indeed, there was a force that was attempting to fortify the old watchtower. By my count, I saw four stationed at the tower itself, five guarding the entrance of the second bridge, two patrolling said bridge, and one lone swordsman patrolling the plateau. Twelve in total by my count.

"Alright. So here's the pla…"

"DIE, HOSHIDO PIGS!" Hans screamed out, running across the first bridge.

"Hans, wait!" I shouted. For all the good that did as the bald man truly lived up to his his berserker title and beheaded the lone swordsman in one stroke. Suffused to say, the occupying force was now aware of our presence.

"That's not good." Felicia understated.

"Soldiers of Hoshido! Do not let a single Nohrian live!" I heard who I guessed was the commander shout.

"Bring it on, you cowards! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Hans screamed before running towards the second bridge.

"Actually this might work." I stated, confusing my knight and maid. "Hans just turned himself into one big target. So while their attention on him, we go after the tower."

"But the bridge is the only way across!" Felicia stated. However, she was not aware of something I noticed when I was observing the enemy. Something only my eyes could see.

"Then I just have to make another way." I stated before pulling out Ganglari. As Hans was deposing of the bridge swordsman in his own bloody way, the three of us reached the southern end of the plateau, the watchtower on the other side. But as we approached, I saw one of the enemy pulled back on a bow string.

"Archer!" I shouted. Immediately, Gunter pulled his stead in front of Felicia and me, blocking the arrows with his shield.

"My lord, if you have a plan, now's the time!" The old knight proclaimed. And I did so, placing my hand upon a patch of land that, in my eyes, gave off an ethereal yellow glow.

" _Divine dragon, whose blood runs through my veins!"_ I began to chant, the veins along my arms glowing dark red as I did. " _Allow your descendant to alter this blessed land!"_

The glow then flew from the ground and the rock beneath us began to shake. In an instant, a bridge of stone connected the plateau to the other side of canyon.

"A Dragon Vein! Of course!" Felicia shouted in delight.

"Gods! Did you see what just happened to the cliff?" The orange-haired leader of the occupying Hoshidans (who I could get a look at now and saw he had the robes of a ninja) shouted in disbelief. "Who are we dealing with here?"

"You're dealing with Ivan, son of Garon!" I proclaimed before pointing Ganglari in their direction. "Onward!"

Gunther was the first to cross the bridge, blocking the arrows of their lone archer until he impaled him through the stomach. I took on his sword-wielding partner. And even though he managed to land a cut on left hip, I was the victor, slicing across his chest and ending his life. The other swordsman charged, but one quick dagger thrown by Felicia into his head was enough to end him.

"Damn it all!" The ninja in command shouted, his back against the wall as the three of us closed in on us. "I won't stand for this!"

"Don't your life away." I stated with a stern expression. "You're cornered and outnumbered."

"Are you blind? My comrades to the north…"

"Are currently being slaughtered." Gunther stated. The orange-haired ninja turned and saw that indeed, Hans had bloodily dispatched of the bridge guards.

"By the gods." He whispered in horror. And I'll be honest to say I silently agreed with him. The way Hans killed his foes was less like a soldier and more like a wild animal.

"What is your name, ninja?" I asked. The man glared at me before begrudgingly spitting out his name.

"Omozu."

"Omozu, I have an offer for you." I said, holding my sword out in a show of force. With my other hand, I pulled out a bountiful sack of coins that I kept strapped to my belt. "You tell us why you and your men decided to break the accord between our nations, and you get to leave here a much richer man."

The enemy commander thought about his options (when there really weren't any) before speaking up again.

"Very well."

"So why did you invade the border?" I asked. "Are you a militia group?"

"Far from it." He said, much I hoped he would say yes. "We were ordered to establish a frontline base here under the order of General Yuki…"

But that's all he could divulge, as from seemingly out of nowhere, a shuriken flew through the air and stabbed Omozu through the head.

"No!" I shouted. The three of us quickly turned around and began looking for the assailant.

"There he is!" Felicia shouted, pointing southeast. And indeed, I noticed the silhouette of a man in the distance. He tried to flee, but she gave chase, taking off at speeds to rival that of a Hoshidan ninja. For while Felicia was quite clumsy when it came to housework, she was a master in the art of battle.

"He said General." I stated, recalled Omozu's last words.

"And the armor and weapons these soldiers carried are masterfully crafted." Gunther said, inspecting the dead archer. "There's no doubt about it, my lord. This was an act of war."

And as if some demented heavenly being was watching, thunder roared overhead as the veteran said that.

"Then the worse has yet to come." I said with a sigh. There was a tiny part of myself that wanted to lie about this. That my report would say that it was just a lone militia. But I would never allow myself to lie about such an important matter.

"He got away." We turned and saw Felicia had returned from her pursuit. She had a cut on her right cheek, most likely given by our foe.

"Did you make out any important details?" Gunther asked, getting a nod in response.

"He had dark red hair, and was dressed like a Hoshidan military ninja." The blue-eyed maid ordered.

"He must've killed Omozu in an attempt to keep him from delving too much information." The veteran knight reasoned.

"Well, he failed." I stated before facing my bodyguard. "Felicia, return to the capital and tell my father that these were under the orders of a Hoshidan general. All we know about said general is the word Yuki."

"What about you two?" She asked. In response, I just turned and looked towards the deceased Omozu, bile rising in my stomach.

"Someone needs to give these men a proper funeral."

Nodding in understanding, Felicia returned to her horse and took off. Even though I could tell Gunther was still perturbed by this place, he silently agreed with me that these soldiers did deserve a proper funeral. However, as we started to dig the graves, I heard the sound of an axe slicing into flesh and a horse crying out in pain. The two of us quickly turned around and saw that Hans had beheaded Gunther's horse. He swung the axe, causing the blood to fly off it and onto the ground.

"You're next." He said with a savage smile. One look into his eyes was all that I needed to see. Those were not the eyes of a human, but of a monster thirsting for blood. Our blood.

"Prepare to feel my wraith!" I shouted before charging at Hans with Ganglari in hand. I aimed to cut him with a leftward slash, but he was faster than I predicted and parried my blow. It was then Hans who was on the offensive, slashing wildly with his axe and forcing me deflect. With blow, I could feel his strength, my sword the only thing keeping me alive.

However, in the distraction of our duel, Hans failed to notice as Gunther ran in and charged shield first. With a strength far exceeding his age, the great knight slammed the berserker into the side of the old watchtower. Gunther continued to exert force, his shield keeping Hans from moving his arms.

But that was the beginning to the end. Hans spat right into Gunther's eye. In the brief second Gunther was distracted, the madman pushed back. I attempted in run in and help, but Hans quickly threw his axe at me. I deflected the attack, but when I looked back, it was far too late.

Hans had his hands wrapped around Gunther's next. The old man never stopped struggling, about to stab his spear into his foe's stomach. But in an instant, Hans twisted his neck with a sickening snap.

And at that moment, I felt a wave of fear, disbelief, and sorrow the likes of which I had never felt before. Gunther, the man who helped raise me. Who taught me how to ride a horse. Who regaled me with stories of battles he had fought long ago. He was dead.

This was not what I wanted. I was to rise in the ranks, with him at my side. He still had years of fight left within him, despite his age. He was the kind of soldier I aspired to be. A man of great compassion and strength. And in he gone. The last words between us about giving our enemies a burial.

There was no glory in this death! No great last stand! Just an act of senseless violence perpetrated by someone who could barely be called human!

As I stood up, tears running down from my eyes, gripping Ganglari with all of my might, I felt something burning within me. My body started to change. My left mutating and becoming a spear of silver flesh. Silver horns growing from my head and black skin replacing the face.

But my mind paid no attention to this change. My sadness had been replaced by overwhelming rage. And there was only thought running through my mind.

Kill him.

" _ **YOU MONSTER!"**_ I cried out, charging and impaling Hans in the stomach with my spear-arm.

"What?!" Hans cried out, coughing blood as he did. "What kind of...freak...are you?"

" _ **I'LL TEAR OUT YOUR EYES!"**_ I shouted, meaning every single word. However, Hans was still determined to fight me. In an act of pure insanity, he actually impaled himself further along my arm, all to get his hands around my neck. In response, I did what Gunther failed to do, and stabbed Ganglari through thigh. This caused Hans to cry out in pain, his grip around my neck loosening. Keeping up this momentum, I kicked him back, blood flying from his wounds as my arm and sword left his body.

But before I could charge again, Hans (who at this point was running on pure adrenaline and blood lust) lifted Gunther's corpse and tossed it at me. And seeing my dead comrade's lifeless body flying towards me was enough to stun me, and thus prevent me from leaping out of the way. And in my rage, and failed to noticed that my battle with Hans had lead me with my back facing the edge of the canyon.

And so, the force of Gunther's dead body impacting against me was enough to send me over the ledge. My rage had subsided, replaced with horror and disbelief. The mutation my body had one through reversed itself, leaving me as I was, falling to my death with Ganglari at my side.

I can still remember what was going through my mind as I fell. Sadness for both Gunther's death and my failure at avenging it. That I would never see Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, Father, Felicia, Jakob, Flora, or Lilith again. That my country would soon be at war, I would not be there to help my people.

My mind then began to reflect on all the things I had yet to do. That I would never have the chance of doing now. I had never lead my own battalion. Never successfully completed a mission. Never hear Father say he was proud of me. Never have Xander and Camilla acknowledge me as their equal. Never having the pleasurably company of a loving woman.

I closed eyes, begrudgingly ready to accept my fate. But then, something wonderful happened.

" _My kin, my gods, my blood…"_ A familiar voice chanted. " _Dragons grant me strength! Great Moro, I beseech you!"_

I looked up, and to my utter surprise, I saw Lilith, falling towards me while covered in an otherworldly glow. Her body then began to glow, changing until she was a fish-like creature the size of a bird, with blue, red, and white scales, yellow eyes, a crystal orb underneath her, and her maid cap still on her head. In a display of dazzling speed, she flew underneath me and I grabbed onto her in an instant. She then flew upwards until we were high above the canyon.

"Lilith? Is that you?!" I asked, surprise beyond all reason. "What...ARE you?"

" _Lord Ivan…"_ She said, her voice still the same but with an otherworldly echo. " _I knew this day would come eventually. This may come as a shock, but I am not a human."_

"I think that's pretty obvious!" I shouted. "Are you...a dragon?"

" _Yes, this is my true form."_ She answered. " _You've seen it before. Do you remember? The strange bird you rescued in the barn…"_

"That...was you…?" I asked in disbelief. I guess since I didn't know any better as a child, I assumed this otherworldly creature before was a bird.

" _It was. Once I recovered, I was able to take human form."_ She then gave me a thankful smile. " _You were so kind to me that I decided to remain a human that I might serve you. But now I have used a power that goes beyond the capacity of a human body. I will not be able to return to that form."_

"Lilith." I cried out, tears running down my eyes for the second time tonight.

" _I don't mind, though. The most important thing to me is that you're safe."_

But as if the gods themselves wanted us to die, we were struck by a bolt of lightning, sending us flying down the canyon once more, the cliff quickly getting closer. But Lilith refused to give up and began to chant again.

" _First Dragon, I call on you. Grant us access to the astral plane!"_

A green portal appeared on the ground, and instead of hitting the dirt, we fell through the portal. In an instant, we were somewhere else. In a beautiful place where the sky was blue with clouds. I found myself standing on the steps overlooking a barren courtyard, with sakura trees being the only thing to break the scenery. A stone wall covered the square except the entrance.

"What just happened?! Where are we?!" I screamed out. Hey, you would be unnerved after all of that too, so don't judge me.

" _This is a world parallel to the one in which you live, Lord Ivan."_ Lilith explained, now floating next to me with her fish-like tail wagging. " _It is known as the astral plane. The First Dragons have granted us the power to inhabit this dimension. Under their protection, we are safe here."_

"I...you...I need a minute." I said, sitting down as the weight of everything that happened to me came crashing down. I'm pretty sure I was seconds away from a nervous breakdown.

" _Oh! Allow me to prepare a place for you to rest."_ Lilith said, seemingly sensing my oncoming panic attack. She closed her eyes and her veins began to glow. And in the midst of a court, a magnificent tree with a house built on appeared in a flash of light.

"Did...did you just use a Dragon Vein?" I asked.

" _Yes. The power of the First Dragons flows freely in this realm. You should know that space and time operate differently here as well."_

"Um...Lilith?"

" _Yes?"_

"This is...a lot to unpack." I said.

" _Of course."_ She said, leading me to the treehouse and showing me the bed within it. More tired than I ever felt before, I flopping onto the mattress and drifted to sleep. I have no memory of what I dreamed that night, and quite frankly, I can't imagine it was anything good.

Sometime later, I woke up and left, finding Lilith waiting for me in the courtyard.

" _How are you feeling, Ivan?"_ She asked.

"A lot better actually." I replied. Although the memory of Gunther's death was still fresh in my mind, I knew I had more important things to worry about concerning the state of affairs between Hoshido and Nohr. "I have so many questions."

" _All in good time. For now, some business remains in the other world."_ The tiny dragon stated, seemingly reading my mind. Bless her heart.

"You're right. I can't relax with the possibility of war knocking at our door."

" _Of course."_ Lilith answered. " _There is just one thing you should know before you go back. When I open the portal, you will return to the same location you came from."_

"So Hans might still be there." I stated, clenching my fists as I did. "I'm ready."

" _Very well. Then I will open the gate."_

And in a bright green flash, I was back at the cliffside of the Bottomless Canyon. Quickly, I looked around and saw no sight of Hans. I quickly surmised that he got away, but prayed that he died of blood loss. I also saw that Gunther's body was gone, remembering how it fell into the pit with me. But there was time to grieve later. I had to return to the capital and prepare for war.

"You're mine, Nohrian!"

Or at least of would've if someone didn't hit me in the back of my head, rendering me unconscious.

All in all, that day sucked.

 **To be continued…**

 **Author's Note 2: Once more, you can see the deviations in my version of the Fates story take root. The conflict between Nohr and Hoshido will be less black and white. And like I said in the last chapter, Ivan will not need rescue from his siblings to bail him out.**

 **Also, Gunther is dead and not coming back...for at least two of the paths.**

 **Please remember to read, favorite, and review! See ya next time!**


	5. Chapter 4: Hoshido

**Author's Note 1: Fire Emblem: Seeker of Truth is a non-profit fanfiction series.**

 **Fire Emblem Fates is owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD.**

 **Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.**

 **Please support the official release.**

 **Hello, everyone! Now while the other chapters have had divergences in terms of dialogue and minor plot progression, this chapter is where the changes to the Fates story start to become more apparent.**

 _Chapter 4: Hoshido_

 _ **Valley Settlement...**_

Well, at this point, I now knew how getting hit in the back of the head with a club and being knocked unconscious felt like. I awoke to the smell of boiled meat, vegetables, and salty broth, and found myself in an unfamiliar wooden shack. I turned towards the source of the frankly delicious smell and saw that the one cooking was none other than the Oni Savage I had set free, Rinkah.

"Ah, you're awake," The brown-skinned woman said with an amused smile. "Sorry about that bump on your head."

Acting on instinct, I quickly stood up and reached for Ganglari, only to find it wasn't attached to my belt.

"Your creepy sword ain't here," Rinkah stated as she continued to cook. "And incase you were wondering, this is a Flame Tribe village within Hoshido. I'm going to hand you over to the Hoshidan authorities."

"On what charges?" I asked as I started to formulate a plan to escape. Without Ganglari, I would have to resort to hand-to-hand combat, but I could tell just by looking at Rinkah that a battle with her would most likely end with me black and blue and back in dreamland. I'll also freely admit that I might've looked over her physique a few seconds longer than was appropriate. But in my defense, this was one of the first few times I had seen a woman wearing so little above the belt.

"Don't try to lie, Princeling," Rinkah stated with a slight scowl. "I saw the corpses of Hoshidan soldiers all around you. An unprovoked attack is grounds for execution under normal circumstances."

I was about to shout 'Unprovoked my arse,' but I quickly caught onto something odd Rinkah had said. "Normal circumstances?"

She poured some of the soup, which consisted of long noodles, vegetables, thinly sliced meat into a bowl before handing it to me along with two wooden sticks and a spoon. "Eat up. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

Deciding to see where this was going (and also wanting to figure out where she was keeping Ganglari), I started to eat the soup...or at least I tried to. According to Rinkah, the two sticks she gave me were called Chopsticks and were a common eating utensil in Hoshido. The idea was to grab the food in between the two sticks and bring it to one's mouth. The dish she had served me was called Ramen, and it was actually quite good.

After that, we left the cabin, letting me see that we were surrounded by jagged snow capped mountains. Waiting for us was a familiar green-haired man who had Ganglari strapped to his back. At the time, it took everything I had not scream, because there really was no way out for me.

"We meet again. Kaze, right?" I said, figuring it would easier to atleast try and get along with my captors rather than aggravate them further.

What happened next changed everything. And I am not exaggerating that by any stretch of the word. With a smile on his face, Kaze kneeled before me as one would do out of respect for royalty, something I would never have expected a Hoshidan to do before me, nor any Nohrian noble.

"Yes, I'm glad we found you, Prince Suzaku." Kaze's voice cool and formal, but I barely sense his restrained joy.

When I heard that name, I was confused...and yet, something about it sounded familiar. Like a word you remember reading a long time ago but can't quite remember the meaning behind it.

"Um...am I missing something?" I asked as nervous sweat ran down back of my neck.

"Please come with us. All will be explained." Kaze stated before standing up.

 _ **Shiraishi, Three days later…**_

After a three day walk (which consisted mostly of me trying to ask questions and getting either no response from Kaze or a silent scowl from Rinkah), we arrived in the capital of Hoshido, Shiraishi. Even before we had entered the city had I was able to see the royal palace, Castle Shirasagi.

Both the city and palace were the polar opposite of Windmire and Castle Krakenberg. Windmire's houses were made of brick, Shiraishi's were made of wood and clay. Windmire was dark and sectioned off, Shiraishi was bright and open. Castle Krakenberg was built down into the earth in the crater of an ancient asteroid, Castle Shirasagi pierced the heavens with great spires atop a mountain.

I barely had anytime to take this in before Rinkah pushed me along the road to the castle. When we reached the gates I saw a pair of guards armed with swords. The guards gave Rinkah, Kaze, and myself a quick onceover, before Kaze wordlessly showed them a letter. With a quick nod the guards proceeded to open the gates and we entered Castle Shirasagi, or as I called it at the time, the Tiger's den.

Soon enough, the three of us approached the throne room. The sole occupant was someone who I had only read about in newspapers and in a few political text. The long spiky brown hair. The red armor. The white blade and sheath emblazoned with gold decoration strapped to his belt. If there was any doubt in mind before it was gone now. The man standing before us was Ryoma, High Prince of Hoshido.

"Welcome back, Kaze. Good work." He said as the green-haired ninja bowed before him.

Kaze bowed before him. "Thank you, Lord Ryoma."

'So it really is him,' I thought to myself, cursing the fact that I was still unarmed. The taller man then began to stare at me with an inquisitive look. Clenching my fists, I decided to see why Rinkah did not consider my capture to be normal circumstances. And possibly figure out why Kaze called me Suzaku.

"You won't get anything out of me, so you might as well get on with the execution already." I said with a steel-clad stare. However, I soon heard footsteps and turned to look for their source.

The person who had just entered the throne room was a woman I guessed was in her late forties. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail held in place by a large gold hairpiece, and was adorned in an elegant dress of white and gold. But what got me the most of was her expression. Her brown eyes seemed like they were on the edge of spilling tears and her lips were solemn but hopeful. Everything about this woman seemed...strangely comforting for reasons I couldn't understand at the time.

"I cannot believe it. It really is you…" She said with a trembling voice.

"...I'm sorry, do we know each other?" I asked, unsure of what was going on. This feeling of confusion only grew as the woman began to cry tears of joy.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" She said, wiping her eyes before holding her arms out. "Come here, Suzaku, my sweet child!"

My eyes widened in shock and my body grew stiff as the woman wrapped her arms around me, crying into my shoulder.

"Y-your sweet child?! What the devil are you talking about?!" I shouted as soon as I regained my senses, pushing the sobbing woman away from me. "Why did you call me Suzaku?! I'm Ivan of Nohr!"

The woman once again wiped the tears from her eyes and gave me a look of sadness & pity. "Oh, my poor Suzaku. It's a sad story. When you were very young, you were abducted by forces from Nohr. I am your mother, Mikoto. All this time, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again!"

"I-is this some kind of strange form of Hoshidan interrogation?" I asked with an uneasy smile. I looked around hoping they stop this madness. The only response I received were more sorrowful looks. "Oh come one, none of what you're saying makes any sense! I'm the son of King Garon!"

"It must be quite a shock, but I assure you that she speaks the truth," Ryoma stated. "You and I are brothers."

"No, no, no…" I replied in with a scowl and clenched fists. Everything they were saying was a load of horse dung, it had to be. There was a small part of me wasn't sure, that almost wanted to believe them. I forced that part of me down and turned to look at Ryoma. "Xander is my older brother! Leo, Elise, Camilla, they are my siblings…"

Hearing that made Ryoma scowl as well. "Are those the Nohrian royals?" He stepped forward and spoke with measured anger. "They're not your real family. That bastard Garon murdered our real father, Sumeragi, in front of us, and stole you while I was forced to fend for my life!"

Without any warning, and acting on pure emotion, I turned and slugged Ryoma in the face, shocking everyone else in the throne room. Mikoto looked on in horror, Kaze gave me a look of pity, and Rinkah reached for her club while Ryoma stared down on me with in shock while his hand to his cheek. I could feel hot tears of anger budding at the corners of my eyes as I spoke.

"You bite your tongue!" I was practically screaming at him. The things he was saying were nothing but slander and lies, at least that's what I told myself. "My father is many things, but a kidnapper is not one of them!"

Rinkah ran forward with her club drawn, ready to attack. Ryoma held out his hand, signalling her stop. She reluctantly put her club down walked away.

"Do you truly have no memory of that day?" Ryoma asked me, his eyes full of sorrow, not a shred of anger to be found. "Not even a single instance?"

Hearing that question brought about memories of a fever dream I used to have as a kid. A dream of arrows flying. A young boy crying out. And a hand reaching out to me. However, I pushed that memory back and replied, "No. I'm sorry, but you've mistaken me for someone else."

In response, Ryoma gave a sad sigh. "I can't say I'm surprised. You were only five when you were taken. Seeing Father murdered before your eyes must've been traumatizing."

But before I could argue further, a samurai burst into the throne room and quickly kneeled before my supposed big brother.

"Lord Ryoma! I have an urgent message. We're under attack from the north!"

"No!" The brown-haired man shouted in shock. "Hinoka and Sakura are in that area right now!"

"Yes, milord. I've been told that they're working to help evacuate the villagers."

"Very well. We'll need to provide support. I'll leave immediately," He said before turning to me. "Suzaku, will you come with me?"

"Are you people deaf?! I'm not your damn brother!" I shouted, wanting nothing more to give him another punch to the face.

"I know nothing I say will be able to convince you. But perhaps you need to see the truth with your own eyes," he stated before turning to Kaze. "Give Suzaku his sword back." And to my surprise, Kaze nodded and did just that, handing me Ganglari. None of this made any sense to me.

'There's no conceivable way the story they're telling is true. This is like something out of Felicia's romance novels!' I thought, But in the back of mind, I couldn't help but think about Mikoto's tears and Ryoma's look of sadness. There was no hint of falseness on their faces. It all seemed genuine. Reluctantly, I agreed to join Prince Ryoma to save the two unknown women, Kaze and Rinkah joining us as we did so.

 _ **Northern Village…**_

Soon enough, we reached a village surrounded by snow-covered hills. I took a look around and saw something unbelievable. All around the surrounding hills were monsters three times the size of a normal man. Their muscular bodies were covered in putrid green skin, there were shackles and chains on their wrists and leather straps all over their bodies. Their heads were encased in gray helmets with face plates covered with holes. All in all, they were pretty unsettling to look at.

"What the hell are those things?!" I shouted as the others drew their weapons, readying themselves for combat. Rinkah quickly went to warn the villagers of the creatures.

"So where do you suppose Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura are in all this mess?" Kaze asked Ryoma. However, the answer soon came when we heard a woman's battle cry…

"THIS IS IT FOR YOU!"

...and a powerful gust of wind come from northwest of the battlefield. "Nevermind."

Once more, I took a look around the snow-covered hills and the green skinned monsters surrounding us. No matter how strong this Hinoka was, I doubted that she could last long unaided against these creatures.

"Suzaku," Ryoma turned to me with a determined expression "activate the Dragon Vein to the east. I'll use the one to the north." He ran off after giving the order. I was shocked by his knowledge of the Dragon Veins. Looking in the directions Ryoma had pointed out, I saw two whirling pools of orange energy, one at the base of each hill. After a moment's hesitation I ran east as my supposed brother ran north. We both placed our hands upon the land and began our chant.

" _Divine Dragon, whose blood runs through my veins! Allow your descendant to alter this blessed land!"_

Spheres of orange light blasted into the air from the Dragon Veins before crashing down and destroying the hills in front of us, clearing a path towards Hinoka and Sakura.

"Did you see that?" Rinkah asked Kaze in shock, the green-haired ninja nodded in response.

"This is the power of those descended from the Dawn Dragon, Hikari," He said. Hearing that made me raise an eyebrow, I was always taught that my power came from the Dusk Dragon, Anankos. I had never heard of this Dawn Dragon until now. But now was not the time to reflect on that, as I needed to leap into action as using the Dragon Veins caught the attention of the monsters. They let out some inhuman sound that could be best described as a cross between a sorrowful wail and an angry roar and charged.

With skills I had gained from my training, I leapt away from one of the creatures as it swung its fist down. It was a good thing too, as the punch shattered the ground where I once stood. I quickly pulled out Ganglari and quickly used the ground as a springboard, leaping up and beheading the creature, a strange black liquid came pouring out of its corpse.

'So these monstrosities can die. That's good to know.' I thought to myself as I landed, unaware that another monster was approaching me from behind. Luckily, Kaze saw this and tossed several shuriken into the monster's chest, stunning him before Rinkah closed the gap and smashed the beast over the head with her club.

"Keep your eyes forward, Princeling!" The Oni Savage shouted.

"R-Right," I replied before getting into my stance, seeing more monsters heading our way. Steeling myself, I held out Ganglari and shouted "Onward!"

The three of us charged forward while Ryoma went north. And while these creatures were strong, they clearly had no form of higher intelligence, acting more like wild animals on impulse and instinct. Without saying a word, the three of us quickly found a rhythm. Rinkah would use her club and superior strength to deflect their fists, allowing me to close in and behead them while Kaze tossed shuriken from behind.

But while it took the three of us working together to stand a chance against these beasts, Ryoma needed no such assistance. As three creatures charged at him, the armored man pulled his golden katana from its sheath, lightning crackling from the sword as he did. With speed far surpassing my own, Ryoma gripped the sword with both hands and swung it in a horizontal arc, releasing an blade of lightning that bisected the monsters. If I wasn't in the middle of battle, I probably would've stopped to gawk at his display of power.

After killing a few dozen creatures between the four of us, we turned the corner of the last hill and spotted two women who I assumed were Princess Sakura and Princess Hinoka. The pink-haired girl was using a staff in an attempt to heal an injured pegasus while the red-haired girl was currently fighting against the last of the creatures. In her hands was a naginata with a sky-blue handle, white cloud-like decorations around the pommel and guard, and a glowing green blade. And with a swing of the long-reaching weapon, the redhead unleashed a torrent of wind that ripped the final monster apart.

"Sakura! Hinoka!" Ryoma shouted as we approached them. The redhead was the first to see us, and when she looked me, her eyes widened in shock.

"Thank you so much for coming to our aid," The pink-haired girl said a respectable bow. "Those monsters would've caused a lot more damage if you hadn't come. I have to ask, though...Who are you?"

"Oh, well my name is…."

"His name is Suzaku." The redhead said before approaching me, her eyes never leaving me since she first saw me. Her body visibly trembled as the walked towards me.

"Um...I'm afraid…" I said, seeing the same look of sadness and relief that I saw in Queen Mikoto earlier. And I wasn't the only who noticed her trembling.

"Hinoka? Are you ok?" Sakura asked.

And for the second time that day, a woman who had called me by a different name shoved her head into my chest, tears raining from her eyes as she did so.

"Finally…after all these years...I...I've missed you so much," She looked up from my chest tried wipe away her tears. "S-sorry…" She gave me soft smile.

But while this exchange made me feel greatly conflicted, once more I felt no hint of fakeness in her sorrow, while Ryoma gave a light chuckle.

"Hinoka was so attached to you when you were little, Suzaku," He explained before his face turned solemn. "When you were taken from us, she cried for months. One day, she stopped crying and picked up the Fujin Naginata. And I will say, if you ever find yourself facing the business end of her weapon…"

"I get the picture." I replied before lightly pushing Hinoka away from me. Once again, a small part of me seemed almost joyful at this reunion, but my mind once again tried to rationalize that they had mistaken me for someone else.

"I'm sorry, Suzaku," The pegasus knight said as she finally wiped away her tears. "I'm usually not this emotional."

She then gave me one of the warmest and most sincere smiles I had ever seen. The only other person whose smile I could think of to match her's… was Camilla's.

"But I'm just so happy to have you back," She said before cheering. "Take that, Nohrian scumbags! We win, you lose!'

Hearing that made me clench my fists yet again, I looked to the ground as Sakura spoke up next.

"Wait...is this really Suzaku?"

"Yes," Ryoma replied with a smile. "I know it's big news. I'll fill you in on the whole story later. For now, we should return to the castle before Nohr deploys more monsters."

"What?" I asked, raising my head up to look at my 'siblings' again. "What do mean 'deploys more monsters?' And for that matter, what were those things?"

"They're known as the Faceless," Ryoma explained. "Creatures with no will of their own. Created by Nohrian mages."

My eyes widened in shock at this. 'No!' I thought to myself. 'There's no way any decent Nohrian sorcerer would create these...things!'

"I call 'em dead meat," Hinoka chimed in. "But they're the only thing Nohr can throw at us right now. Our mother, Queen Mikoto, put up a magical barrier around our kingdom. Regular enemy soldiers find themselves without the will to fight upon crossing it. So long as Mother is able to keep the barrier up, Nohr can't invade Hoshido."

"That's why Nohr sends those...things," Ryoma chimed in again. "They have no souls- no wills of their own. That's why they are able to penetrate the barrier and terrorize our borders."

"Nonsense," I whispered, making my 'siblings' confused before spoke up again, my mind racing and processing all of this. "Nonsense! Nonsense! It's all f*&king nonsense!"

Hinoka stepped forward to try and placate me. "Suza-"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" I shouted. Hinoka and Sakura reeled back in shock while Ryoma just gave me that damned look of pity again. "You expect me to believe this load of wyvern dung?! That my father kidnapped me after murdering yours?! That your mother has some kind of barrier that keeps Nohr from invading?! I'll say it again; this is complete and other nonsense! No matter how adept someone is in the mystical arts, no human is strong enough to cast a barrier around an entire country! And as for the Faceless, you expect me to believe that King Garon would approve not only of the creation of these monsters, but that he'd use them to attack innocents?! Why would Nohr do this when we have nothing to gain from attacking you?!"

"I-it's the truth," Hinoka replied, clearly stunned by my outburst. "Nohr is evil, right down to the core! They don't care about who they hurt as long as they prosper!"

Hearing that I gave out one of the most sarcastic chuckles I could muster. "Oh really? Last I recall, your soldiers were the ones who attempted to illegally occupy the Bottomless Canyon."

Once more, Hinoka and Sakura looked at each other in confusion. I turned and saw Ryoma looking away with a sorrowful expression.

"You knew about it, don't you?" I asked, Ryoma refused to say anything. However, his silence was all the answer I needed. "You call my country, my kingdom evil, when you're the ones who started a war!"

Hinoka was about to shout back when Ryoma held his hand out, glaring at me as he did so. "Look, much has happened over the last few days. We'll discuss this further when we return to the capital. Understood?"

With a scowl on my face, I put my blade away. "Very well, 'Brother.'" I stated with all of the sarcasm I could muster before walking away. As I did, I noticed Kaze and Rinkah were staring at me. Rinkah had her usual scowl, no doubt angry about my comment about Hoshido instigating a war. But Kaze had a look of sorrow and pity, the kind most men have when they know they're in the wrong but don't have the stomach to state it.

 _ **Later…**_

When we returned to Castle Shiraishi, Mikoto was there to greet us, and insisted on showing me to my old room. Exhausted from both the battle and the argument, I went along with this.

Soon enough, we arrived at my 'room,' it had gathered a thick layer dust over years of disuse. I looked around and saw several objects that I could only assume were Hoshidan toys. On the wall I saw a crude drawing of a young boy short brown hair, a man with long spiky brown hair, and a woman with long black hair.

"That's a picture you drew when you were a little boy," Mikoto explained as she looked over my shoulder. "This is your father, this is me, and that's you. It's so cute!" She said as she pointed to each figure in the picture.

After I gave a tired sigh, she continued, "We couldn't bear to touch a thing in this room after you were taken. If we put your things away, it would have felt like giving up."

While I said nothing, part of me did feel some sense of alien nostalgia for the drawing and everything else in the room.

"You've grown so much. I can't believe how handsome you are!"

"Stop it." I whispered before turning around to face her. And when she saw the tears running down my eyes, she gained a look of sorrow and motherly concern. "Just stop it. I keep telling you, I'm not this Suzaku you all keep claiming me to be. I was born and raised in Nohr. Trained by brother and my caretaker."

My mind flashed to my family, my servants, and even poor deceased Gunther.

"And besides, even if you're right, and I was kidnapped, that doesn't change anything. Suzaku died a long time ago. I am… I am Ivan, second prince of Nohr."

"I...I understand," She replied, trying and failing to hide the sadness in her voice. "I suppose I should've expected this. You've spent your whole childhood in Nohr. I'm sure you were quite sheltered. You will need time to think all of this through and search your soul."

But as she left the room, Mikoto had one last thing to say. "But I hope that someday, we can be a family again. For now, please make yourself comfortable. Explore the castle, or stroll the grounds outside. You'll be safe here."

And with that, I was left alone in a room that was simultaneously familiar and foreign to me, with nothing but my thoughts to keep company. After a few minutes, I decided to get some air. Soon enough, I found myself standing in front of a lake as the sun began to set in the distance. As I watched the sunset, everything I had learned in the past few days began to crash on me. I could feel my heart and my mind at odds with one another, torn between a family I had known and a family that claimed to be mine. Until…

" _You are the ocean's great wave. Destined to seek, life beyond the shore, just out of reach."_

A beautiful song reached my ears, and a voice just as beautiful bringing the lyrics to life. I walked in the direction of the sound and saw someone walking on the pier. From the distance, I could make out long blue hair and a white dress befitting that of a Songstress. As I began to walk towards her, she continued to sing.

" _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time. The path is yours to climb."_

Soon enough, she heard the sound of my footsteps, turning around to reveal her golden eyes.

"Yes?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Er, hello. Sorry to bother you. I just got lost in your singing," I replied honestly, feeling at ease for the first time that day. "There's something about that song that captivated me…"

"You must be Prince Suzaku," She replied. I flinched slightly at the mention of that name. The Songstress saw my reaction and asked "Or do you prefer to be called Ivan?"

"Honestly, I would prefer to be called by my real name," I said, thinking of my Nohrian name. "And you are?"

"I am Azura. A former princess of Nohr."

And hearing that made me raise an eyebrow. "Former? I don't understand. If that were true, surely I would've heard of you. And mean, I grew up with the Nohrian royal family…"

"I'm afraid I've been here a long time." She answered, her neutral expression making it hard to tell what she was feeling. "After you were taken to Nohr, the Hoshidan forces retaliated. They tried desperately to get you back, but they failed again and again. However, I wasn't as heavily guarded. Hoshidan ninjas easily kidnapped me. I suppose we've both been hostages for most of our lives…"

"I…" I began to say before resolving myself. "Gods...I'm sorry to hear that."

"No, it's ok," Azura replied. No doubt she saw my look of confusion before continuing. "I may technically be a hostage, but I've lived a happy life. The people of Hoshido have accepted me as one of their own. Even Queen Mikoto herself treats me as if I were her daughter."

I said nothing for a moment before bursting out in a fit of laughter. This time, Azura was the one with the look of confusion. "What's so funny?"

"It's just...what you've said. The Hoshidian royals believe me to be their kidnapped brother. And if that is the case, then we have more in common than just being taken. Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, they've always treated me like I was their brother by blood. Even my father, if he did kidnap me, has never treated me as though I was less than my siblings."

Azura gave me a sympathetic smile upon hearing that. "I see."

"But…that's also why I pray to Anankos that I'm not Suzaku. That this whole thing has just been a case of mistaken identity."

Even to this day, I still question why exactly I decided to open myself up to Azura. Maybe I just needed someone to talk to instead of having all the drama rattling in my mind. Maybe I saw a bit of myself in her due to our similar pasts. Or maybe her song really did calm me down to the point of opening up. Whatever the case may be, this was something I really needed at the time.

"I can imagine," Azura responded. "If I were to return to Nohr, I suspect I'd feel as conflicted as you are now."

"Who said anything about me being conflicted?" I asked.

"I can see it in your eyes." She stated. "If you are Suzaku, then some part of you must feel at home here."

I scratched the back of my head before nodding. "Queen Mikoto and Princess Hinoka broke down in tears upon seeing me. They were so genuine. And Ryoma, he hasn't once spoke ill of me, even after our little...altercation."

"You mean when you punched him the face," Azura calmly stated, once more making me raise an eyebrow. "Word travels fast around here."

After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to ask one of the most important questions in my life. "Azura, if you were my position, what would you do? Would you return to your blood family, even if it felt like being around strangers?"

The blue-haired songstress thought my question over before speaking up. "No. Given a choice, I would prefer to stay here in Hoshido."

And for the first time that day, I felt a smile come across my face. "We really are a lot alike."

"So the next question is how do you plan to return to Nohr, correct?" Azura asked, quickly catching my meaning.

"Not sure. I doubt the Hoshidan Royals would just let me walk across the border and return home. And considering how our two nations seem to be walking the razor's edge between war and peace, well, that doesn't make things any easier," I said before facing Azura again. "My best hope at moment is for Mikoto's supposed will-draining barrier to be the hoax I believe it to be, and that some Nohrian soldiers might be one their way to rescue me."

"But if they were to come and rescue you, it would no doubt lead to bloodshed." Azura stated with a solemn expression.

"Like I said, this all relies on too many factors going my way. So I guess I'll just have to come up with an escape plan in the next few days." I stated before looking at Azura. And like before, it seemed I was as easy to read as an open book to her, while she remained indecipherable to me.

"I won't tell anyone else," She said before walking off. "Whatever choice you make, I hope it's right one."

After Azura left, I stayed by the lakeside, contemplating until nightfall. But as I started to head back to my room, I heard the sound of an eagle overhead. I looked up and saw said eagle coming down towards me. Strapped around its neck is was a black tube with the insignia of Nohr. The bird landed in front of me and presented its neck to me. After looking around to see if anyone else was around, and opened the tube to reveal a letter. And the contents of said letter filled me with a hint of optimism for my escape.

 _ **Four days. Be ready.**_

 **Author's Note 2: Yes, now we see one of the main divergences from the canon Fates story; the existence of more ancient weapons. For Hinoka, her weapon is the Fujin Naginata, which can unleash the power of wind upon her foes. But don't worry, Takumi won't be left without a weapon.**

 **Please remember to read, favorite, and review! See ya next time!**


	6. Chapter 5: Mother

**Author's Note 1: Fire Emblem: Seeker of Truth is a non-profit fanfiction series.**

 **Fire Emblem Fates is owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD.**

 **Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.**

 **Please support the official release.**

 _Chapter 5: Mother_

After destroying the message, I walked back to the castle, where I found Hinoka waiting for me. There was someone I hadn't met before waiting with her; he was a young man who looked a tad younger than me; he had amber eyes, pale brown hair in a ponytail, and wore a blue & white outfit befitting that of a Hoshidan archer.

"So this is him, huh?" The man asked, Hinoka nodding in response.

"Pardon me." I said as I approached him. "I don't believe we've met."

He simply scowled and turned around, walking out of the throne room.

"What was that about?"

"That was our little brother, Takumi," Hinoka said with a sigh.

"Oh." I said, realizing what I just did.

The redhead then told me to follow her, stating that the servants had just finished preparing dinner. Rather famished, I followed her to the dining room. In a matter of minutes, we had reached it… and my jaw dropped when I saw the table set before me.

A wide array of food covered every inch of the table. Dishes of vegetables, rice, beef, chicken, fish, noodles and other Hoshidan delicacies I had never laid eyes on before. The only thing more surprising then the exotic meals was the sheer quantity of it. The only time I had ever seen anything close to this much food in one place was during my birthday dinners. And even they were dwarfed by the vast array of food set out before me.

"Suzaku, Hinoka. Come and help yourselves." Mikoto said as she sat at the head of the table. Ryoma, Sakura, Azura, and Takumi were already seated.

"I'd recommend the pork dumplings." Ryoma stated, having taken off his armor in favor a white kimono and red hakama pants for the meal. "They're simply to die for."

"Nice." Hinoka said with a smile while I dumbly took a seat at the table. For almost a minute, I simply stared at the food, not even lifting a utensil.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Um… well…." I began to say in modest embarrassment. "I know my return is a major event for all of you, but you didn't need to throw such a luxurious banquet just that."

"Don't flatter yourself, _your majesty."_ Takumi said in a snide tone. "This is hardly a banquet."

"Takumi's right." Hinoka said, not seeming to catch her brother's tone. "This is just a normal dinner for us."

Now I consider myself to be a man of calm poise and good taste. But I must admit that my reaction to hearing that was less than dignified.

"WHAT?!" I screamed, absolutely dumbfounded.

"…are you alright?" Ryoma asked, clearly taken aback by my outburst.

"This kind of spread is usual for you guys?! There's no way you can eat all this is one sitting!"

"Well, we usually save the leftovers." Sakura explained.

"Left… overs?" I whispered, the word as foreign to my tongue as the dishes on the table. Deciding not to cause more of a ruckus, I dropped the subject and began to eat the food in front of me, although I was in such a haze I barely tasted a thing. And as I ate, I remembered a quote once uttered by King Edmund the 8th;

A true Nohrian only eats what they need.

It was quote that referred to a rather unfortunate aspect of Nohr's geography; while the craggy mountains and rough terrain made it easy to defend and hard to attack, the lack of a sun and poor soil meant only the hardiest of crops would grow. While Nohr had creatures that produced decent meat when cooked, it also meant that Nohrians needed to carefully ration their food. The idea of not finishing food or serving more than they could eat was truly a foreign concept.

And yet, in the four days leading up to my supposed escape, it was one of the many differences between Hoshido and Nohr I came to learn about. During this time, I had attempted to acquire more knowledge about this 'General Yuki' Omozu had mentioned, but my access to any major military information was naturally blocked off. But on the other hand, I managed to gain a good grasp of my 'real' siblings.

Azura was the most enigmatic and withdrawn of them all, often keeping to herself. The only thing she gave away was her singing voice.

The only one more withdrawn, at least towards me, was Takumi. In passing, I would hear him refer to me as 'Nohrian scum' when he believed I wasn't listening. Takumi was lucky I was planning to escape, otherwise, he would've required medical attention. Aside from his blatant racism and clear contempt for me, the only other trait I learned was that he was a skilled archer and wielded an enchanted bow known as the Amaterasu Yumi.

I also learned that the Amaterasu Yumi, along with Ryoma's sword, Raijinto, and Hinoka's spear, the Fujin Naginata, made up the what were known as the Three Sacred Regalia of Hoshido. They reminded of the Three Divine Treasures of Nohr.

Sakura was the kindest of the royal siblings, being withdrawn more out of shyness than anything else. In some ways, she reminded me of Elise, they both possessed incredible kindness and were absolutely adorable.

Hinoka was the very definition of a tomboy, spending her free time training or taking care of her pegasus. Despite her brashness, she was very understanding, especially concerning my situation.

Ryoma was easily the one I held the most respect for. He carried himself with a quiet dignity befitting a king, yet had an inherent kindness about him despite his towering figure.

And so, four days had passed and I had been summoned to the throne room once more. Lady Mikoto stood waiting for me next to the throne.

"You're looking much better, Suzaku." She said with a smile.

"I am, yes." I replied, when in reality, I was referencing to my scheduled escape from Hoshido. "I still have many questions, but at least now I have a few answers. Thank you for giving me the space I needed to think."

"Of course. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better." The black-haired queen replied. "If you wouldn't mind, I have a small favor to ask. Would you try sitting on the throne for a moment?"

I raised an eyebrow at this, which Mikoto caught onto.

"You see, this throne is infused with Hikari's power." She explained, referring to the Dawn Dragon. "It is said that those who sit on it regain their true form and mind. I thought if you sat on the throne, then perhaps…"

And hearing that just made me sigh. "You still think I'm under some kind of Nohrian spell, don't you?"

And Mikoto's expression told me I was right. "I've been wondering if the Nohrians have been sealing away your early memories. If so, maybe the Throne of Truth could help bring those lost pieces back."

She then gained another sad look in her eyes. "Those sweet memories of me and your siblings…"

I scratched my chin for a bit before speaking up. "And how do I know you're not doing the same?"

"What?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"I've been told you're quite the sorceress, Lady Mikoto, if the stories of the barrier surrounding Hoshido are to believed. I may have lived a sheltered life up until now, but even I know that would require incredible magic prowess. Who's to say that you haven't placed a spell on the throne that will rewrite my memories as soon as I take a seat?"

"SUZAKU! I would never…"

"Excuse me, Lady Mikoto." Our attention was drawn by an older man walking into the room. He possessed faded green hair, silver eyes behind a pair of glasses, and dark blue robes. "The ceremony is about to begin."

"Thank you, Yukimura."

And as soon as that name left Mikoto's lips, my eyes widened in shock before the two turned their attention back towards me.

"Suzaku, you probably don't remember him, but this is Yukimura." Mikoto explained. "He's one of our strategists and brightest leaders. We would be lost without him!"

"You are too kind, milady." Yukimura said with a modest smile. "Though in truth, I still have much to learn."

It took every ounce of self-control I had to put on a smile and not attempt to strangle the man in front of me. Everything seemed to connect. A high-ranking official whose name began with Yuki. This was the man who ordered Omozu and his troops to invade the border. Although indirectly, this man was partially responsible for Gunther's death.

And here he was, smiling at me without a care in the world. His next words didn't help.

"That said, I am here to help in any way I can, Lord Suzaku."

'You can start by choking on your glasses.' I thought to myself as my 'siblings' walked into the throne room.

"I'd like to make a public announcement about your presence here, Suzaku." Mikoto stated. "There have been rumors circulating about Nohrian spies infiltrating the castle."

'That must be my rescue party.' I thought to myself.

"I would like to quash those rumors once and for all." She said before turning to the green haired bastard. "Yukimura, is everything ready?"

"Yes, milady. People are beginning to gather at the plaza." He then turned towards me, pulling out a large object wrapped in cloth from his robes. "A lord should have a weapon at his side for the ceremony."

With caution, I unwrapped the cloth and, to my surprise, found that Ganglari was inside it. Without a word, I placed my enchanted blade back into the holster on my belt. It felt good to have my weapon back on my person.

"Excellent thinking. Thank you." Mikoto said before turning to me. "Suzaku, I've arranged for Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura to give you a tour around Shiraishi. I thought you might want to get to know the area a little bit before this event. I need to speak with Yukimura first, but I'll meet you at the plaza soon enough."

"We'd be happy to show him around. Thank you, Mother." Hinoka replied.

"Azura, do you mind going with them as well?" The black-haired queen asked.

"Not at all. It would be my pleasure." The songstress said with a kind smile.

"Hmph." Takumi grunted.

"I can't wait to show you around!" Sakura said excitedly. "I think you'll l-love it here."

I couldn't stay mad with the pink haired girl's smile beaming at me. "Thank you, Sakura. That sounds lovely."

And with that, we left the throne room to being the tour, leaving Ryoma, Yukimura, and Lady Mikoto behind.

 _ **Shiraishi…**_

"Hey, young man! Would you like to try my world-famous roasted potatoes?" An old lady at a stand asked. "They're delicious and nutritious! I guarantee you'll love 'em."

"Um...I'm good." I replied as me and my 'siblings' walked through the crowd. As we walked, I took in the sights, and the differences in between our two countries smacked me in the face once more. I'd long lost count of how many times I'd been offered food.

The way we were allowed to walk around the city so freely was equally jarring. Even though they were given much more freedom than me, my siblings always told me how they all had to take at least one guard with them going outside of the castle. Nohr was my home, but it could be a dangerous and scary place to live.

Soon enough, we reached the town square, where a beautiful white marble statue of the Dawn Dragon stood proudly at its center, a large crowd gathered around it. Lady Mikoto and Ryoma stood by the statue, ready to address the crowd.

"Alright, everyone." Hinoka stated. "The ceremony is starting."

Taking my cue, I walked through the crowd, my eyes still scanning the area, wondering when I would be rescued. If they were planning on retrieving me, they should have done so as I was taking the tour. They couldn't be brazen enough to attempt the rescue in front of a large crowd and the entire royal family.

Those were my thoughts at the time. And they couldn't have been more wrong. I took my place next to Lady Mikoto, her smile as radiant as ever. And that's when everything went to hell.

Suddenly, I felt Ganglari begin to shake, and a sinister red aura surrounded my blade. Without warning, it flew from my belt and into the hands of a stranger in blue robes, who was standing the middle of the crowd. The stranger then stabbed Ganglari into the ground.

For a brief second, the very ground shook before Ganglari unleashed a wave of dark energy, reducing the streets and buildings around the stranger to rubble and disintegrating anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught in its radius.

"What the devil?!" I shouted in shock while Sakura screamed in horror.

But this wasn't end as Ganglari's blade suddenly broke apart into a dozen shards that levitated in the air. The shards launched towards me in the blink of an eye.

Time seemed to crawl to a halt. My instincts were telling me to dodge, but my mind knew that with the speed the shards were traveling, I had no time to evade. My death seemed imminent.

In the next second, fate decided to reveal its cruel hand yet again as Lady Mikoto managed to move herself in front of me. It was only after the shards had drilled into her back and her scream echoed through the air did the flow of time seem to return to normal.

As Lady Mikoto fell, I quickly caught her in my arms. I could feel her blood spilling out from her back, soaking through my gloves and onto my hands beneath, the shards being the only reason she hadn't bled out entirely.

"S-Suzaku," She whispered, blood beginning to flow out of her mouth. "Tell me you're ok."

I was unmoving for a second. For the past few days, Lady Mikoto had treated me as if I were the missing son everyone claimed me to be. And in those days, I had been naturally hesitant and skeptical that to this claim. But here she was, on the verge of death, because of a selfless act to save my life.

"I-I'm fine…" I answered, my breath quivering and my eyes beginning to water. And despite the pain, Lady Mikoto smiled once more.

"I'm… so… glad…"

And with those words, Lady Mikoto passed out in my arms, seemingly dead. In that instant, the logical part of my mind that had fighting her claims of our bond seemed to melt away. In my shock and horror, with tears running down my eyes, I could only shout one word.

"MOTHER!"

Everything else seemed to blur and fade out as I held onto Lady Mikoto… to Mother. I barely registered Ryoma charging at the assailant with Raijinto and more enemies seeming to crawl out of the rubble with strange jagged swords.

And just like with Gunther's death, my sadness had begun to turn into rage. I remember nothing about the transformation my body had gone through. The only thing I recall was the vaguest memories of the ensuing battle. For at the time, three words consumed my mind;

Kill them all.

 _ **Kaze…**_

We would remember this day as one of greatest tragedies ever perpetrated on Hoshidan soil. Rinkah and I had been following Lord Suzaku and his siblings from a distance, just in case the rumors of Nohrian spies were true.

Then tragedy struck before the ceremony could even begin. The destruction. The death. Lady Mikoto taking the attack meant for Suzaku. In response, Lord Ryoma charged ahead, attempting to cleave the murderer in two. However, the stranger seemed to possess inhuman speed, pulling out a kodachi from their robe to deflect Lord Ryoma's attack.

As this occurred, a group of soldiers holding jagged blades emerged from the rubble, a few mages accompanying them. From a distance, they looked like Nohrian soldiers, but they possessed an unnatural aura about them.

But the most shocking part was what occurred with Lord Suzaku. With tears running down his eyes, my lord let out an inhuman roar as his body began to transform. His arms and legs became elongated and scaled. A pair of white wings grew from his back. His torso and neck expanded and elongated respectively, and a pair of white horns adorned his black maw.

"Gods! What is that?" Lord Takumi shouted.

"It-it's an ancient dragon!" Hinoka stated, her eyes widened in horror. "But, why did-how did Suzaku…"

But before Hinoka could say another word, the beast that was Lord Suzaku roared and charged at one of the mages. The mage launched a fire spell at him, but the flames seemingly did nothing to the dragon before it tackled him and then proceeded to start ripping him apart with his teeth.

"Holy shit." I heard Rinkah whispered behind me, sharing in my horror.

"Mother!" Sakura cried as she ran towards the fallen Lady Mikoto. Without hesitation, she pulled out her Bloom Festal rod and began to cast her healing magic on our unconscious queen, desperately trying to keep her alive. However, one of the inhuman soldiers saw this and charged at Sakura, only to be shot through the head by one of the Amaterasu Yumi's arrows of orange light, courtesy of Lord Takumi.

"Kaze!" I heard Rinkah say to me as some of the soldiers began to circle around Suzaku. "Those weapons are Wyrmslayers! They're built to slaughter draconic creatures!"

Nodding in understanding, Rinkah and I charged towards the changed Suzaku. With two strikes, I took out one of the enemies. The first shuriken knocked the wyrmslayer out of its hands, and the second shuriken went through its head, killing it instantly.

Rinkah followed suit, igniting her club with fire and smashing one the enemies in the head, causing it to cave in and kill them. She then grabbed their wyrmslayer and threw it at the other soldier, impaling them through the chest.

After our rescue of him, Lord Suzaku had finished ripping apart the mage and charged at another soldier, ready to tear them apart.

For the next few minutes, a fierce battle raged. Even Azura had joined in the battle, grabbing a Brass Naginata from one of the downed guards. Soon enough, all of the enemy had been slain, but that still left us with one problem; the still transformed Lord Suzaku, who was still in a berserker rage. Most of us had no idea how to undo this transformation, but Lady Azura started to do something unexpected as she approached Lord Suzaku;

She began to sing.

 _ **Ivan/Suzaku…**_

Kill them all.

Kill them all!

KILL THEM ALL!

That one thought consumed my mind. To slaughter the monsters who had caused so much pain. I could barely register anything except that… until I heard a familiar song.

" _You are the ocean's gray waaaaaaaves!"_

I turned in the direction of the song, barely recognizing the shape approaching me and the strange blue light around it.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves! Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach!"_

The light seemed to be doing something to me. It was causing a strange, alien sensation in my body. It terrified me.

" _Yet the waters never change…"_

I needed to silence it! So I struck the source of the song, stopping it for a moment. But as I about to continue on…

" _F-flowing like time...the path is...yours to climb…."_

Once more, I attempted to silence the song and destroy the light that was causing me such strange feelings, placing my… claw on what felt like someone's neck. I lowered my face towards the source of the song, and her face soon began to become clearer to me; it was Azura, and I was choking her to death.

"Kill me if you want," She said with tears running down her eyes. "But… do it as yourself."

Those words struck a chord with me, and images of Gunther and Mother soon appeared in my mind. Slowly, I removed my hand from her throat and saw the strange light was emanating from her pendant. With curiosity, I grabbed the glowing pendant, ripping it from Azura's necklace. And as I held onto the pendant, I could feel body changing back to human and my mind began to clear.

The bestial rage that had consumed my mind was departing, leaving my head in shambles. But as this happened, something inside my mind seemed to snap… and I remembered everything.

 _I stood behind a piece of rubble as I looked on the battle before me, terrified beyond words, but unable to tear my eyes away._

 _My father, King Sumeragi, was battling against King Garon, father's Raijinto clashing against Garon's axe wreathed in flame. Their fight had been so intense that the conference hall where they held their meeting had been reduced to flaming rubble. The two kings stood across from one another, beaten, bloody, bruised, and barely standing. Their armor was cracked and broken, falling to pieces. Sumeragi raised Raijinto in a final, desperate attempt to keep fighting- when an unknown voice cut through the air._

" _FIRE!"_

 _A rain of arrows struck Father, and for a moment, all was still. Then he fell to the ground, unmoving, the light gone from his eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I curled into a ball and started bawling my eyes out._

" _You damned fool." Garon said panting, his voice filled with frustration and sadness. He then turned his eyes to me, drawn by the sound of my crying. Garon looked at me with a frown on his face._

" _I am sorry." He said with melancholy. "No child should be forced to witness an atrocity such as this."_

 _He reached out towards me. "I swear to you, I will atone for this wrongdoing."_

"It's true," I said, a stream of uncontrollable tears following from my eyes as my siblings gathered around me. "It's all true."

I lifted my head and saw the devastation the square had suffered, my mind going to those who had been lost. In the distant, I saw a group of medics carefully taking Lady Mikoto and Sakura away, Takumi watching before turning to me as if to say this was my fault.

'Was… was this what the letter was about?' I thought to myself. 'I… I was never to be rescued. I was just a tool.'

"Suzaku." I heard Hinoka cry out. I turned and saw her and Ryoma looking at me with concern. Barely keeping it together, I threw myself at Hinoka, crying into her chest like an infant, all my restraint destroyed by the recent stream of events. I felt Hinoka's arms wrap around me, attempting to comfort me, even though her shaking revealed that she was barely holding it together as well.

"I'm sorry," I cried out. "I'm so sorry."

"Ivan…" I heard Azura say as Ryoma helped her up. "You were not in control of yourself."

"Everyone, look." We all turned and saw Yukimura walking towards us before pointing towards the center of the plaza. Standing in the rubble of the Dawn Dragon statue was a golden blade. Without warning, the blade floated into the air and flew ahead, landing in front of me.

"Is that… the Yato?" Ryoma asked in shock.

"No way!" Takumi shouted. As for me, something about the blade called to me and I grabbed onto the pommel. After a brief flash, I was holding the blade in my hands.

"It would seem that the Yato has chosen its wielder." Yukimura stated. "And right when we need it the most."

"What are talking about, Yukimura?!" Hinoka shouted. "Look around you! The battle is over! So many are dead!"

"That's not what I meant, milady." The bespectacled man replied. "Before this… incident, I had received word that a massive Nohrian force had gathered at the eastern border."

"What?! Was killing mother not enough for those monsters?!" Takumi shouted in anger while Ryoma scowled in anger.

"This is the final straw. I have worked hard to avoid an all-out war. But now…" Ryoma then turned to us, his eyes burning with rage. "Death is too good for them. Who's with me?!"

In the next few minutes, everyone was preparing for the war that was certain to come, leaving Azura and myself alone, Yato in my right hand and Azura's pendant in the other.

"This can't be happening." I said out loud. "This feels like a nightmare."

"I feel the same," Azura replied before turning to me. "So, what will you do?"

So many questions were brewing in my head. A hurricane of emotions was raging inside of me. And I knew I lacked the time to process all of them.

"I… I don't know."

And with that, I spent the next few hours simply following my siblings to battle, the Hoshidan army following us. We met the Nohrian army at the border, who were lead by none other than Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise.

And so, there I was. On one side, the family that I shared my blood with, holding out to me.

"This way." Ryoma said as he held his hand out.

"B-big brother?" Sakura asked in worry, Hinoka and Takumi flanking her.

On the other side, the family I had known for the last fifteen years, begging me to return.

"He's my brother!" Elise shouted, Camilla and Leo beside her.

"We're your family." Xander said as he held his hand out. As he did so, my mind conjured images of the night that Father… that Garon stole me away. The events of the last few days played in my mind. The battle at the bridge. Gunther's death. Fighting the Faceless. Mother saving me. The two times I had transformed. The senseless deaths. Almost killing Azura.

It felt as though the world was splitting in two. But even still, I knew I had to say something.

And my next words changed not only my fate, but the fate of everyone of both Hoshido and Nohr.

 _ **To the paths ahead.**_

 **Author's Note 2: And this is where the prologue ends, my friends. Like the games, I plan on having different paths for Ivan/Suzaku to take. So while this story ends, stay tuned for the next path (or story) to open!**

 **Until then, please remember to read, favorite, and review! See ya next time!**


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